*klaiþ

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *klaiþ for Proto-West Germanic.^[1] It continues inherited from Proto-Germanic *klaiþą (“cloth”),^[1][2] which Kroonen cites by its stem *klaiþa-, Köbler as *klaiþa-, *klaiþam, and EWA as *klai̯þa-.^[2][3][4] Ringe and Taylor describe the loss of word-final *-ą in Proto-West Germanic, as in *stainą > *stain "stone".^[5]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem;^[2][4] Old English has the noun as a masculine.^[6]

Evidence

The word is attested in Old English clāþ, also clǣþ,^[6] and Old Frisian klāth, also klēth and later klād.^[7] Boutkan and Siebinga explain the form with ⟨ē⟩ by the monophthongisation of *ai, and the form with ⟨d⟩ by the late Old Frisian change of ⟨th⟩ to ⟨d⟩.^[8] In Old Dutch, ONW records cleith and the plural ⟨cleider⟩ in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible of 1151–1200.^[9] Old High German kleid is found only once, in a Franconian gloss of the end of the 12th century, ⟨rot cleit⟩ glossing ⟨coccinea vestis⟩ "scarlet garment".^[4] Wiktionary gives the Old Saxon form only as a reconstruction.^[1]

Competing analyses

Kroonen takes Old Norse klæði (“cloth, garment”) for a loan from West Germanic.^[2] EWA reports that the North Germanic words are usually taken for loans from Old English or Old Frisian, but holds them to be old, from North Germanic *klai̯þi̯a-, because they were borrowed into Saami.^[4] Boutkan and Siebinga leave it open whether the Old Norse word is a loan, and count the limited distribution of the word among their reasons for not excluding a substratum origin.^[8]

Meanings

1. cloth^[1]

Old English also used the word for "garment" and "sail",^[6] Old Frisian for "garment" and, in the plural, "clothes",^[7] and Old High German for "garment".^[4]

Derivatives

• *klaiþijan "to clothe", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[10] Old English has clǣþan (“to clothe”).^[11]
• *klaiþōn "to clothe", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[12] Köbler records Old Frisian *klâthia "to clothe".^[13]

Reflexes

• Old English: clāþ (“cloth, garment, sail”)^[6]
• Old Frisian: klāth (“garment; in the plural, clothes”)^[7]
• Old Dutch: cleith (“garment”)^[9]
• Old High German: kleid (“garment”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *klaiþ
2. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 290
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *klaiþa-
4. ^ a b c d e f Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. kleid
5. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 45
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. clāþ
7. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. klāth
8. ^ a b Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. klath
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. klēt
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *klaiþijan
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. clǣþan
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *klaiþōn
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *klâthia