*gernō

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adverb *gernō "willingly, eagerly" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *gernô (“willingly, eagerly”),^[1] which Wiktionary derives from the adjective *gernaz with the suffix *-ô.^[2] In West Germanic terms Wiktionary analyses it as the adjective *gern (“eager, willing”) with the adverb suffix *-ō.^[1] Kroonen and Heidermanns cite the Proto-Germanic adjective by its stem *gerna-, and Orel as *ʒernaz.^[3][4][5]

Morphology

An adverb.^[6][7] Heidermanns lists the comparatives geornor and gernōr beside the adverbs.^[4]

Evidence

The adverb is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English georne,^[6] Old Frisian jerne,^[8] Old Saxon gerno,^[7] Old Dutch gerno, in Williram's commentary of about 1100,^[9] and Old High German gerno.^[10] Köbler counts 56 records in Old Saxon, among them the Heliand.^[7] Old Frisian has only the adverb, not the adjective,^[4] and Kroonen and Orel too cite only an Old Frisian adverb.^[3][5]

Meanings

1. willingly, eagerly^[1]

Old English also used the adverb for "earnestly, gladly",^[6] and Old High German for "voluntarily, greedily".^[10]

Reflexes

• Old English: georne (“eagerly, gladly, earnestly”)^[6]
• Old Frisian: jerne (“gladly, readily, eagerly”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: gerno (“gladly, eagerly, joyfully”)^[7]
• Old Dutch: gerno (“gladly”)^[9]
• Old High German: gerno (“gladly, eagerly, willingly”)^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gernō
2. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gernô
3. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 174
4. ^ a b c Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. gerna-
5. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 132
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. georne
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gerno
8. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. jerne
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. gerno
10. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gerno