*furdu

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *furdu for Proto-West Germanic.^[1] It continues inherited from Proto-Germanic *furduz (“ford”),^[2][3] which Kroonen cites by its stem *furdu-, Orel as *furđuz and Köbler as *furdu-, *furduz.^[3][4][5] EWA sets up West Germanic *furđi-, *furđu-, the latter being a nominative singular newly formed to the genitive *furđauz.^[6] Ringe and Taylor count Old English ford, genitive forda, from Proto-Germanic *furduz, *furdauz, among the words in which the *o that arose by lowering of *u was levelled through the paradigm.^[2] EWA notes that in Low German and Dutch a following r favoured the change of u to o, and allows that the *o may already have been West Germanic.^[6]

Morphology

A masculine u-stem.^[3][7] Old English keeps traces of the inflection of the long-syllable u-stems, and Old High German has an i-stem.^[6] EWA explains the partial change to the i-stems in West Germanic from the old locative, which gave *furđi.^[6] Old Frisian forda is an n-stem.^[4]

Evidence

The word is attested as Old English ford, Old Frisian forda, Old Saxon ford and Old High German furt.^[4][6] Old High German has it from about 800 in the Weissenburg Catechism and in glosses, and in many place names, such as Lombard ⟨ad furdi⟩ of 789.^[6] EWA also cites the Old English place name ⟨Twifyrd⟩ "at the double ford", and names such as Etienfort near Boulogne-sur-Mer, which continue Old Saxon ford and point to Saxon settlers.^[6]

Meanings

1. ford^[1][3]

In Old Frisian the word also meant a causeway leading to a fen,^[8] and "crossing, dam, bridge".^[9]

Reflexes

• Old English: ford (“ford”)^[10]
• Old Frisian: forda (“causeway to a fen, ford”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: ford (“ford”)^[11]
• Old High German: furt (“ford”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *furdu
2. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 33
3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 160
4. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 119
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *furdu-
6. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. furt
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. ford
8. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. forda
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. forda
10. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. ford
11. ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. ford