*baþ

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *baþ, plural *baþu, for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Wiktionary has the same form.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”),^[1][2] which Ringe and Taylor reconstruct for Proto-Northwest Germanic as *baþą, plural *baþu, and Orel as *ƀaþan, Köbler as *baþa-, *baþam.^[1][3][4] EWA sets up a Germanic base form *baþ-a-m and relates it to the root of the verb Old High German bāen (“to warm, to foment”),^[5] and Orel derives it from the Proto-Germanic verb *ƀējanan.^[3]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[6][5] In Old English the vowel was retracted in the plural, where the ending had a back vowel: singular ⟨bæþ⟩, plural ⟨baþu⟩.^[7]

Evidence

EWA finds the word in all the Germanic languages but Gothic.^[5] It is attested as Old English bæþ, Old Frisian beth, Old Saxon bath (genitive plural ⟨bađo⟩) and Old High German bad.^[1] Köbler records the Old Saxon genitive plural in the Heliand, line 981.^[6] In Old Frisian, a by-form ⟨beith⟩ shows a spelling typical of its dialect.^[8] German place names such as az Badun, the source of Baden-Baden, are mostly named after warm springs, often in imitation of Latin Aquae.^[5] For Old Dutch, ONW records only the verb bathon (“to bathe”).^[9]

Meanings

1. bath^[1][2]

Old High German also used the word for "baptism" and "bathhouse",^[10] Old Saxon for "bathhouse",^[6] and Old English glosses Latin lavacrum and fons with it.^[11]

Derivatives

• *baþōn "to bathe", from Proto-Northwest Germanic *baþōną: Old High German badōn, Old English baþian.^[12] Old Dutch has it in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of 1100, ⟨gebathot⟩ "bathed".^[9]
• *baþþjan "to make wet with warm water, to boil", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[13] Köbler gives Old English beþþan (“to warm, to heat, to foment”).^[14]

Reflexes

• Old English: bæþ (“bath”)^[11]
• Old Frisian: beth (“bath”)^[15]
• Old Saxon: bath (“bath, bathhouse”)^[6]
• Old High German: bad (“bath, baptism, bathhouse”)^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 194
2. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *baþ
3. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 39
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *baþa-
5. ^ 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. bad
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bath
7. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 193–194
8. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. beth
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. bathon
10. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bad
11. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bæþ
12. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 190
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *baþþjan
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bėþian
15. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. beth