*hertā

Reconstruction

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

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hertô (“heart”),^[3][4] which Ringe and Taylor cite as *hertōn-, Kroonen as *hertōn-, Orel as *xertōn and Köbler as *hertō-, *hertōn.^[3][4][5][6] Its Proto-Northwest Germanic nominative singular *hertǭ ended in a bimoric long ō; word-finally such vowels became Proto-West Germanic *ā, while trimoric ones became *ō, so that the noun became *hertā like *tungā "tongue".^[7]

Morphology

An n-stem.^[8][9] It is neuter in Old Saxon and Old High German, but feminine in Old English and Old Frisian.^[9][8] In the plural Old High German also has a-stem forms, after the neuter a-stems.^[9]

Evidence

The noun is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English heorte, Old Frisian herte, Old Saxon herta and Old High German herza,^[1] and Old Dutch herta in the Old Low Franconian psalms of the 9th century.^[10] ONW cites the Old Dutch word from Williram's commentary of about 1100 and the Groningen psalm glosses of 1151–1175.^[11] Old High German has it from the 8th century.^[9] Old English heorte shows the breaking of *e before r and a consonant, of which Old Frisian gives no evidence.^[3]

Meanings

1. heart^[3][2]

Old English also used the word for "mind", "will" and "courage",^[12] Old Saxon for "mind",^[13] and Old Frisian figuratively for "middle" and "core".^[14]

Derivatives

• *hirtijan "to put heart in (someone)": Old English hiertan, beside Old High German gihirzen (“to agree”).^[15]

Reflexes

• Old English: heorte (“heart, mind, will, courage”)^[12]
• Old Frisian: herte (“heart, mind”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: herta (“heart, mind”)^[13]
• Old Dutch: herta (“heart”)^[11]
• Old High German: herza (“heart”)^[9]

References

1. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 59
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hertā
3. ^ 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. 182
4. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 222
5. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 170
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hertō-, *hertōn, *herta-, *hertan
7. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 58–59
8. ^ a b Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c d e 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. herza
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. herta
11. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. herta
12. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. heorte
13. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. herta
14. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. herte
15. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 248