*hauhī

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *hauhī "height" for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Wiktionary has the same form.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hauhį̄ (“height”),^[3][4] which Köbler cites as *hauhī-, *hauhīn and EWA as *χau̯χīn-.^[3][4] EWA calls it an abstract noun of quality formed from the adjective, Old High German hōh,^[4] and Wiktionary analyses it as *hauh "high" with the abstract suffix *-ī.^[2] Gothic has the same noun, Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌴𐌹 (hauhei).^[4][3]

Morphology

A feminine n-stem.^[1] Ringe and Taylor's Proto-West Germanic singular has the nominative *hauhī and the accusative, genitive and dative-instrumental *hauhīn; they give no plural for it.^[1] EWA classes the Old High German noun as an īn-stem,^[4] while Köbler lists the Old Saxon, Old Dutch and Old High German words as strong ī-stems.^[5][6][7]

Evidence

The noun is attested in Old Saxon hōhi, once in the Heliand, in the dative singular;^[5] Old Dutch hōi, in the Old Low Franconian psalms of the 10th century and in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of about 1100;^[8] and Old High German hōhī, in the Abrogans and many other glosses, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^[4] In the psalms it glosses Latin altitūdō and excelsus.^[6] Neither Köbler nor Wiktionary gives an Old English or Old Frisian form.^[3][2] In its place stands Old English hīehþ (“height”), which Ringe and Taylor derive from Proto-Germanic *hauhiþō, beside Old High German hōhida;^[9] Wiktionary reconstructs it for Proto-West Germanic as *hauhiþu.^[10]

Meanings

1. height^[1][2]

Old High German also used the noun for "greatness, sublimity, pride, summit, gable" and "fortified hill",^[4] and Old Dutch for "greatness".^[6]

Reflexes

• Old Saxon: hōhi (“height”)^[5]
• Old Dutch: hōi (“height, highest point”)^[8]
• Old High German: hōhī (“height, greatness, sublimity, summit”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 117
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hauhī
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hauhī-
4. ^ 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. hôhî
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hôhi
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hōi
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hōhī
8. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. hōi
9. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 245
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hauhiþu