*þauh

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *þauh for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þauh (“nevertheless”),^[2][3] which EWA writes *þauχ and Köbler *þau, *þauh.^[4][5] Boutkan traces the Old Frisian word through Proto-Frisian *þāh to an original form *þauhe, whose vowel was later shortened before the final consonant.^[3] In Old English the diphthong became West Saxon þēah, and Mercian and Northumbrian þǣh, which Ringe and Taylor think was generalized from the unstressed position.^[2]

Morphology

An adverb, also used as a conjunction.^[4][6] Boutkan analyses it as Proto-Indo-European *tou with the emphatic particle *kʷe,^[3] and Berr compares the enclitic -h with Latin -que (“and”).^[7] Wiktionary analyses the Proto-Germanic word as *þau "in that case" with *-hw "and".^[1]

Evidence

The word is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English þēah, Old Frisian thāch, Old Saxon thōh and Old High German doh.^[2][8] Old Dutch has thach in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of 1100, and the word in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible.^[9] Old West Frisian doch, with a shortened o rather than the Frisian vowel, must be due to Middle Low German or Dutch influence.^[3]

Meanings

1. nevertheless^[2][1]
2. though^[1]

As a conjunction, Old English, Old Frisian, Old Saxon and Old High German used it for "although".^{[8][10][6][4]}

Reflexes

• Old English: þēah (“yet, nevertheless, although”)^[8]
• Old Frisian: thach (“yet, nevertheless; although”)^[10]
• Old Saxon: thōh (“yet, however”)^[7]
• Old Dutch: thoh (“nevertheless”)^[9]
• Old High German: doh (“nevertheless, yet, however; although”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þauh
2. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 309
3. ^ a b c d Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. thach
4. ^ a b c d 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. doh
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þau, *þauh
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thoh
7. ^ a b Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 416
8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þéah
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. thoh
10. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. thach