*fell

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *fell for Proto-West Germanic.^[1] It continues inherited from Proto-Germanic *fellą (“skin, hide”),^[2][3] which Kroonen cites as *fella- and Orel as *fellan.^[3][4] EWA explains its *-ll- from an older *-ln-.^[5] The Proto-West Germanic loss of word-final unstressed *a and *ą affected especially the singular endings of the a-stems in the direct cases, as in *hurną "horn" > *horn.^[6]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[5][7]

Evidence

The word is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English fell,^[8] Old Frisian fel,^[9] Old Saxon fel, in the Heliand,^[10] Old Dutch fel, in the dative ⟨uelli⟩ in the Old Low Franconian psalms of the 10th century,^[11] and Old High German fel, from the 8th century, in Otfrid and in glosses.^[5]

Meanings

1. skin, hide^[3][1]

Old Saxon used the word for human skin,^[5] Old Frisian also for a hide sold as merchandise,^[9] and Old High German also for a membrane or pelt.^[5]

Derivatives

• *fillīn "made of skin, leathern", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[12] Orel sets up Proto-Germanic *fellīnaz for Old English fellen and Old High German fellīn.^[4]
• *fillijan "to flay", which Wiktionary reconstructs.^[13]
• Kroonen notes that in Anglo-Frisian the related mn-stem *felma(n)- "membrane" seems to have been replaced by the diminutive, Old English filmen and Old Frisian filmene.^[3]

Reflexes

• Old English: fell (“skin, hide”)^[8]
• Old Frisian: fel (“skin; hide”)^[9]
• Old Saxon: fel (“skin, hide”)^[14]
• Old Dutch: fel (“skin”)^[11]
• Old High German: fel (“skin, membrane, pelt”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fell
2. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 165
3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 135
4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 97
5. ^ a b c d e f 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. fel
6. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 45
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fell
8. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. fell
9. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. fel
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fel
11. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. fel
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fillīn
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fillijan
14. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 119