*biobanā

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adverb *biobanā, which it gives as a synonym of *obanā.^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Proto-Germanic *bi + *ubanē (“from above”): Wiktionary derives it from the prefix *bi- and *obanā, which continues Proto-Germanic *ubanē.^[1][2] The daughter dictionaries agree: Köbler derives Old English bufan from be and ufan, and Old Saxon biovan from bi and *ovan,^[3][4] and Boutkan and Siebinga call Old Frisian bova a compound of the prefix bi- and ova (“on, over”).^[5] Orel reconstructs the simple adverb as *uƀanē̆, derived from *uƀa.^[6]

Morphology

An adverb, also used as a preposition: Köbler has the Old English word as a preposition and the Old Saxon one as both,^[3][4] and in Old Frisian it is a preposition with the dative.^[7]

Evidence

The word is recorded in Old English bufan, Old Frisian bova, also buva and boven,^[3][8] and Old Saxon biovan, which the Heliand has at line 4075, spelt ⟨biouan⟩ in manuscript M and ⟨bioƀan⟩ in C.^[4] For Old High German, Köbler has only a reconstructed *bioban, with a reference to the Old Saxon word,^[9] and for Old Dutch Wiktionary gives only reconstructed forms.^[1] The dictionaries thus record it only in Old English, Old Frisian and Old Saxon.^[3][10][4]

Meanings

1. above (a synonym of *obanā)^[1]

Old English used the word for "above, over, upon",^[3] Old Frisian for "above, over",^[8] and Old Saxon for "above, on top" and "from … on".^[4]

Reflexes

• Old English: bufan (“above, over, upon”)^[3]
• Old Frisian: bova (“above, over”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: biovan (“above, on top”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *biobanā
2. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *ubanē
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bufan
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. biovan
5. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. bova
6. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 432
7. ^ Bremmer, Rolf H., Jr. (2009), An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins, p. 192
8. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bova
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *bioban
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bova