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*holōn

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-West Germanic word *holōn

*holōn1 to call, to fetch

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Proto-Germanic *halōną

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs a verb *holōn "to call, to summon; to fetch".[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *halōną (“to call”), which Kroonen sets up with two root vowels as *halōn- ~ *hulōn-,[2] and Köbler as *halōn, *hulōn.[3] Wiktionary derives *holōn from Proto-Germanic *hulōną.[1] EWA finds that the West Germanic forms presuppose a root with a, and that only Old High German, and once Old English, continue a by-form with u, which probably goes back to old ablaut.[4] Kroonen calls the origin of this ablaut unknown; since many iterative verbs show the same alternation, he reconstructs a paradigm *hallōþi, *halunanþi beside *hullōþi, *hulunanþi, whose geminated root variants were later levelled out.[2]

Morphology

A weak verb of class II.[5][4]

Evidence

Old High German has holōn beside the more common halōn, recorded from the 8th century.[4][6] Old English has the verb only once, in the compound Old English giholian (“to obtain”) of the 9th or 10th century.[4][2] The other West Germanic languages have the form with a: Old Saxon halōn, only in the Heliand, and the later Old Frisian halia and the Middle Low German and Middle Dutch verbs.[4] EWA finds the verb only in West Germanic, and takes the Danish and Swedish forms for loans from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch.[4]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary also lists an Old High German variant of the third weak class.[1] EWA thinks such a variant very doubtful: nearly all its records are three-syllable past forms in Otfrid and Notker, where the -ô- was weakened after a short root vowel.[4]

Meanings

  1. to call, to summon[1][2]
  2. to fetch[1]

EWA takes "to call (hither)" for the original meaning, found in Old High German glosses from the 8th century, and "to fetch" for a secondary one that later prevailed, from which a sense "to pull" grew in other languages; it does not accept Mansion's objection that "to call" is found only in Old High German.[4]

Reflexes

  • Old English: giholian (“to obtain”)[5]
  • Old High German: holōn (“to fetch, to call, to take”)[6]

*holōn2 to hollow out

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Proto-Germanic *hulōną

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs a second verb *holōn "to hollow out, to make hollow".[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hulōną (“to hollow out”),[7][8] which Köbler gives with Old Norse hola and Old High German holōn.[7] Kroonen derives Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌷𐌿𐌻𐍉𐌽 (ushulōn, “to hollow out”) from *hulōjan-, formed to the adjective *hula- "hollow".[9] Heidermanns lists the Gothic, Old Norse and Old High German verbs in -ō- "to hollow out" under that adjective, but asks whether they were formed to the noun.[10]

Morphology

A weak verb of class II.[11][12]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English holian and in Old High German holōn, in glosses from the 9th century.[13][12] Wiktionary marks the Old Frisian, Old Saxon and Old Dutch forms as unattested.[1]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary analyses the West Germanic verb as formed from Proto-West Germanic *hol (“hollow”) + *-ōn.[1] Holthausen likewise puts the Old English verb with the adjective hol,[13] and EWA the Old High German one with hol.[12]

Meanings

  1. to hollow out, to make hollow[1][7]

Old English also used the verb for "to become hollow",[13] and Old High German for "to dig, to bore, to pierce".[14]

Reflexes

  • Old English: holian (“to hollow out, to become hollow”)[13]
  • Old High German: holōn (“to hollow out, to dig, to pierce”)[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *holōn
  2. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 205
  3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *halōn, *hulōn
  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. halôn, holôn
  5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *holian
  6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. halōn
  7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hulōn
  8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hulōną
  9. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 253
  10. ^ Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. hula-
  11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. holian
  12. ^ a b c d 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. holôn
  13. ^ a b c d Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. holian
  14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. holōn

Related etymologies

  • *stain · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *beran · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *sōkijan · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *fimf · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hail · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hertā · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *busk · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *reht · also from Proto-Germanic
Cite this entry

“*holōn.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gmw-pro/*hol%C5%8Dn. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·