*braid

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adjective *braid for Proto-West Germanic.^[1] It continues inherited from Proto-Germanic *braidaz (“broad”),^[1][2] which Kroonen and Heidermanns cite by its stem *braida-, Orel as *ƀraiđaz and Köbler as *braida-, *braidaz.^[2][3][4][5]

Morphology

An adjective.^[2] Heidermanns treats it in his dictionary of the Germanic primary adjectives.^[3]

Evidence

EWA finds the adjective in all the Germanic dialects;^[6] in West Germanic it is Old English brād, Old Frisian brēd, Old Saxon brēd and Old High German breit.^[2][4] The Old Saxon adjective occurs in the Heliand,^[7] and in Old Dutch, ONW records the form breid in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of about 1100.^[8] EWA cites a Lombard Lombardic braida in the phrase "uia quod dicitur braida" of the year 885.^[6]

Meanings

1. broad, wide^[1]

Old English also used the adjective for "extended", "open" and "flat",^[9] Old Frisian for "detailed",^[10] Old Saxon for "large, spreading",^[11] and Old High German for "spacious", "proud" and "haughty".^[12]

Derivatives

• *braidijan "to broaden, to spread out", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[13] Orel lists the verb in Old English brǣdan, Old Saxon brēdian and Old High German breiten.^[4]
• *braidēn "to become broad", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[14] Köbler records Old High German breitēn (“to become broad, to stand out”).^[15]
• *wegabraidā "plantain", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[16] Köbler has the plant name in Old English wegbrǣde, Old Saxon wegbrēda and Old High German wegabreita.^[17]

Reflexes

• Old English: brād (“broad, wide, extended, open, flat”)^[9]
• Old Frisian: brēd (“broad, detailed”)^[10]
• Old Saxon: brēd (“broad”)^[7]
• Old Dutch: breid (“broad”)^[8]
• Old High German: breit (“broad, wide, stately, weighty, haughty”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *braid
2. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 73
3. ^ a b Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. braida-
4. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 53
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *braida-
6. ^ 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. breit
7. ^ a b Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 70
8. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. brēt
9. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. brād
10. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. brēd
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. brêd
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. breit
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *braidijan
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *braidēn
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *braidēn?, *braidǣn?
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wegabraidā
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wegabraiþō