*fleus

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *fleus "fleece" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *fleusaz (“fleece”),^[1] which Köbler cites as *fleusa and Kroonen enters as *fleusiz-.^[2][3] Kroonen derives Old English flēos, Middle Dutch and Middle High German vlies from *fleusa-, and Old English flīes, Middle Dutch vluus and Middle High German vlius from *fleusi-; for him the two forms side by side point to an old neuter s-stem, *fleusaz, genitive *fleusizaz.^[3] EWA likewise sets up Proto-Germanic *fleu̯sa- behind the Old English and Middle High German words.^[4]

Morphology

A neuter noun,^[5] which Köbler classes in Old English as a strong neuter i-stem.^[6]

Evidence

Old English has the word in glosses, for Latin vellus, in the spellings flīes, flīus, flȳs, flēos and flēs.^[6] Kroonen's other West Germanic evidence is Middle Dutch vlies and vluus "fleece, tuft" and Middle High German vlies and vlius.^[3] Köbler dates the Middle High German word from Albrecht, 1190–1210.^[7] Holthausen compares Dutch vlies and Middle High German vlius.^[5]

Meanings

1. fleece^[1][3]

Old English also used the word for "wool" and "pelt".^[5][6]

Reflexes

• Old English: flīes (“fleece, wool, pelt”)^[5][6]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fleus
2. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *fleusa
3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 146
4. ^ 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. pflûmfedara
5. ^ a b c d Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. flies
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. flíes
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. vlies