*blīþī

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adjective *blīþī "happy" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *blīþiz (“mild, pleasant”),^[1] which Kroonen cites as *blīþa- "mild, kind", Orel as *ƀlīþ(j)az and Köbler as *blīþa- or *blīþja-, among other forms.^[2][3][4] Kroonen finds no certain etymology and suggests a link with Proto-Germanic *blīwa- if the first meaning was "bright";^[2] EWA derives the Germanic form from a root meaning "to shine", with a suffix that forms verbal adjectives.^[5]

Morphology

An adjective, a ja-stem in Old English and Old High German.^[4][5]

Evidence

The adjective is attested as Old English blīþe, Old Frisian blīde, also ⟨blīd⟩ and ⟨blī⟩,^[6] Old Saxon blīthi, in the Heliand,^[7] and Old High German blīdi, in Otfrid and the glosses,^[5] and outside West Germanic as Gothic 𐌱𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐍃 (bleiþs, “merciful”) and Old Norse blíðr (“gentle, mild”).^[3] Old Dutch has no record of the adjective, but ONW records the verb Old Dutch blīthen (“to rejoice”) in the Psalms of the 10th century, as a derivative of the adjective.^[8]

Competing analyses

The sources reconstruct different stems for the Proto-Germanic adjective: Wiktionary an i-stem *blīþiz, to which the Proto-West Germanic form added an adjective suffix *-ī;^[1] Kroonen an a-stem *blīþa-;^[2] Orel *ƀlīþ(j)az, with or without *-j-;^[3] and EWA a formation with the suffix *-tio- or *-ti-.^[5]

Meanings

1. happy^[1]

Kroonen gives the Proto-Germanic meaning as "mild, kind",^[2] and Gothic used the word for "merciful".^[3] Old English also used it for "gracious, friendly, mild, pleasant",^[4] and Old Saxon also for "shining, bright".^[7][9]

Derivatives

• *blīþisi "happiness", which Ringe and Taylor reconstruct as the source of Old English bliss, through *blīþsi and *blīssi;^[10] in another passage they call it northern West Germanic and cite the Old Saxon accusative blīđsea,^[11] and Kroonen sets up Proto-Germanic *blīþisō- behind these nouns.^[2]
• *blīþijan "to rejoice", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[12] it is found as Old Dutch blīthen,^[8] and Orel lists Old High German blīden (“to rejoice”) beside Gothic 𐌱𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bleiþjan, “to take pity”).^[3]

Reflexes

• Old English: blīþe (“happy, cheerful, gracious, mild”)^[4]
• Old Frisian: blīde (“glad”)^[6]
• Old Saxon: blīthi (“bright, cheerful, happy”)^[7]
• Old High German: blīdi (“glad, cheerful, friendly”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blīþī
2. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 69
3. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 49
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. blīþe
5. ^ a b c d e 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. blîdi
6. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. blīde
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. blīthi
8. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. blīthen
9. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 61
10. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 56
11. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 293
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blīþijan