*fastī

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *fastī as an alternative form of *fast, made with the adjective suffix *-ī.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *fastuz (“firm, solid”), which Kroonen cites as *fastu-, a u-stem that was remade as a ja-stem in West Germanic.^[2] Köbler sets up Proto-Germanic *fasta- and *fastja- beside *fastu-.^[3]

Morphology

A ja-stem adjective.^[4][5] EWA notes that the ja-stem is found only in High and Low German, while all other records are a-stems, perhaps originally u-stems.^[5]

Evidence

The ja-stem is attested as Old Saxon festi "fixed", recorded once as the accusative plural ⟨festa⟩ glossing Latin fixus,^[4][5] and as Old High German festi, the usual Old High German form.^[5] Old Saxon otherwise has the a-stem fast,^[6] and Old High German has fast only in a few Middle Franconian sources.^[5] Old Dutch has only fast,^[7] and Old Frisian fest and Old English fæst are a-stems as well.^[5]

Competing analyses

Kroonen takes the ja-stem for a West Germanic remodelling of the older u-stem.^[2] EWA limits it to High and Low German and leaves open whether the a-stems of the other languages were once u-stems.^[5] Boutkan and Siebinga instead set up a former i-stem *fasti- beside Proto-Germanic *fastu- to account for the Old High German form.^[8]

Meanings

1. fixed, firm^[9]

Wiktionary treats *fastī as a variant of *fast "fixed, fast".^[1][9]

Old High German also used the adjective for "strong", "certain", "lasting" and "steadfast".^[5]

Derivatives

• *fastijan "to fasten", which Wiktionary reconstructs as equivalent to *fastī or *fast with the suffix *-jan.^[10]
• Köbler refers the noun Old High German festī (“firmness, strength, stronghold”) to the adjective, and traces it and Old Dutch festi (“firmament”) to a Proto-Germanic feminine *fastī-, *fastīn.^[11][12]

Reflexes

• Old Saxon: festi (“fixed”)^[4]
• Old High German: festi (“firm, strong, fixed, certain, steadfast”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fastī
2. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 131
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *fasta-
4. ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. festi
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. festi
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fast
7. ^ Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. fast
8. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. -fest 2
9. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fast
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fastijan
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. festī
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. festi