*frisk

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adjective *frisk for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *friskaz (“fresh, unsalted”),^[2][3] which Heidermanns cites by its stem *friska- and Orel as *friskaz.^[4][2] EWA sets up the form as West Germanic *friska-.^[5]

Morphology

An adjective.^[6][5] Heidermanns finds it isolated within Germanic in this grade of the root.^[4]

Evidence

The adjective is attested as Old English fersc,^[6] Old Frisian fersk, only in the phrase "caught in the act",^[7] and Old High German frisc, which EWA records in glosses from about 1000.^[5] The Old English and Old Frisian forms, like those of Middle Low German and Middle Dutch, show metathesis of the r.^[5] Old Saxon has only the derivative Old Saxon ferskang (“young animal”), from which Köbler infers an adjective *frisk.^[8][5] Both Heidermanns and EWA hold that the word belonged originally to West Germanic alone: the North Germanic forms such as Old Norse ferskr are loans, which EWA traces to Middle Low German.^[4][5] Green counts the word among the Germanic words that merchants brought into Latin, given the importance of fresh foodstuffs.^[9] Gamillscheg derives French frais, recorded in the 12th century as Old French frois, feminine fresche, from Frankish *frisk or West Germanic *frisk,^[10] while EWA has the Romance words come from Old High German, and the Welsh and Breton ones from the Old English form.^[5]

Meanings

1. fresh^[1][5]
2. unsalted, of water^[1][4]

Heidermanns glosses the Proto-Germanic adjective "newly arisen".^[4] Old English used the word of fresh water and unsalted food,^[4] and Old High German for "fresh, new, raw".^[5]

Derivatives

• Old Saxon ferskang (“young animal”) and Old High German frisking (“sacrificial animal, young animal”) are derived from the adjective.^[4][11]

Reflexes

• Old English: fersc (“fresh, unsalted”)^[6]
• Old Frisian: fersk (“fresh”)^[7]
• Old High German: frisc (“fresh, new, raw”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *frisk
2. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 115
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *friska-
4. ^ a b c d e f g Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. friska-
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. frisc
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fersc
7. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. fersk
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *frisk?
9. ^ Green, D. H. (1998), Language and History in the Early Germanic World, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 193
10. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 475
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. ferskang