*þrīstī

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adjective *þrīstī and names no Proto-Germanic ancestor.^[1]

Etymology

It may be inherited from Proto-Germanic *þrīstja- (“bold”), which Köbler sets up beside *þreista-, *þrīsta- and forms with a nasal, *þrenhsta- and *þrinhsta-.^[2]

Morphology

An adjective.^[3][4] Old English and Old Saxon have it both with and without the final vowel, as þrīst beside þrīste and thrīst beside thrīsti.^[3][4]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in Old English þrīste^[3] and Old Saxon thrīsti.^[4] Köbler lists only an unattested Old High German *drīst.^[5] Middle Dutch has drijst (“bold, presumptuous”).^[2]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary calls the origin unknown.^[1] It reports a suggestion that the adjective is formed from *þrīsti "pushiness" with the suffix *-ī, from earlier *þrinhsti, formed from *þringwan (“to press, to push”) with the suffix *-þi; it calls the relation to Latin trīstis (“sad”) disputed, and a connection with *durstī (“bold, daring”) tempting but hard to reconcile in its formation.^[1]

Meanings

1. bold, daring, audacious^[1]

Old English also used the adjective for "shameless".^[3]

Reflexes

• Old English: þrīste (“bold, shameless”)^[3]
• Old Saxon: thrīsti (“bold”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þrīstī
2. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þreista-
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þrīst
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thrīsti
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *drīst?