*blōd

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *blōd "blood" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *blōþą (“blood”),^[1] which Kroonen cites as *blōda-, Orel as *ƀlōđan and Boutkan as *blōþaN,^[2][3][4] while Köbler gives both *blōþa- and *blōda-.^[5] Orel notes that Gothic 𐌱𐌻𐍉𐌸 (blōþ) has *-þ-, against the -d- of the other languages.^[3]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[6][7] Kroonen takes the Proto-Germanic word for a neuter collective.^[2]

Evidence

EWA calls the word restricted to Germanic, where it is found in every language.^[7] It is attested as Old English blōd, Old Frisian blōd, Old Saxon blōd and Old High German bluot,^[2][4] and Old Saxon also has ⟨bluod⟩ in the Cotton manuscript of the Heliand.^[6] In Old Dutch, bluod is recorded in the North Lower Rhenish blood charm of 1001–1050 and in Williram's commentary of about 1100.^[8]

Competing analyses

Kroonen derives the collective either from *blēan- "to blow", from a basic sense "to gush", or from *blōan- "to flower", the colour of blood being the motive, and also allows a starting point "life" from "breath".^[2] Orel connects it with *ƀlōanan.^[3] Boutkan rather assumes a word of non-Indo-European origin,^[4] and Berr thinks it replaced an older word for reasons of taboo.^[9]

Meanings

1. blood^[1][2]

Old Frisian also used the word for "kinship" and "kinsfolk",^[10] and Old Saxon for "bodily fluid".^[6]

Derivatives

• *blōdijan "to bleed", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[11] Köbler lists Old Frisian blēda (“to bleed”) with the noun.^[5]
• *blōdisōn "to mark with blood", which Wiktionary reconstructs behind Old English blētsian (“to bless”);^[12] Ringe and Taylor trace the Old English verb to a pre-Old English *blōdisōjan "to consecrate with blood".^[13][14]

Reflexes

• Old English: blōd (“blood”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: blōd (“blood, kinship, kinsfolk”)^[10]
• Old Saxon: blōd (“blood”)^[9]
• Old Dutch: bluod (“blood”)^[8]
• Old High German: bluot (“blood”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blōd
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. 70
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 50
4. ^ a b c Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. blod
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *blōþa-
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. blōd
7. ^ a b c 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. bluot²
8. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. bluot
9. ^ a b Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 62
10. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. blōd
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blōdijan
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blōdisōn
13. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 257
14. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 281
15. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. blōd