*hramu

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *hramu "(timber) frame, framework, support" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hramō (“frame”) according to Wiktionary.^[1] Kroonen sets up a masculine *hraman- "frame",^[2] EWA *(χ)ram-a/ō-,^[3] and Köbler *ramō, without the initial *h-.^[4][5] Kroonen holds that, in spite of the late records of the word, the initial *h- is assured by French frame, a loan from Old Low Franconian *hrama.^[2]

Morphology

In Old High German a feminine ō-stem, beside a masculine a-stem ram;^[3] the Old Saxon noun is feminine, but whether strong or weak is uncertain.^[4]

Evidence

Old Saxon has hrama once, the dative plural ⟨rámon⟩ glossing Latin catasta (“rack”).^[4][6] Old High German has rama in glosses from the 11th or the 12th century.^[3] EWA also lists Old Frisian rām and early Middle Dutch rame, and sets up Old Low Franconian *rama on the strength of Old French raime (“frame”), borrowed after the loss of the initial fricative.^[3] ONW records an Old Dutch *rama only through the FEW.^[7] EWA takes frame for a loan from West Germanic or Old Low Franconian, with French f- for the initial *χ-.^[3] It lists no Old English form of the noun, and calls the Old Norse form ⟨hrama⟩ sometimes cited a probable ghost word.^[3] Gothic 𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hramjan, “to crucify”) is a verb made from the noun, originally "to fasten on the frame".^[3]

Competing analyses

The Proto-Germanic form is given differently: Wiktionary has *hramō,^[1] Kroonen the masculine *hraman-.^[2] EWA allows that beside *χram-a/ō- there may have been a form *ram-a/ō- without the *h- and of another origin, since several languages lost the initial *h- early and the attested senses point less to a frame than to load-bearing beams.^[3]

Meanings

1. frame, framework, support^[1]

Old High German used the noun for "prop, column, loom frame, rack for torture",^[3] and Old Saxon for "rack".^[6]

Derivatives

• *hrammjan "to hem in, to restrain", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[8] Kroonen takes Proto-Germanic *hramjan-, the source of Old English hremman (“to curb, to hamper”) and Dutch remmen (“to brake”), to be built on the noun.^[2]

Reflexes

• Old Frisian: rām (“perhaps frame, loom frame”)^[9]
• Old Saxon: hrama (“rack”)^[6]
• Old High German: rama (“prop, column, loom frame, rack”)^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hramu
2. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 242
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. rama
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hrama
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rama
6. ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. hrama
7. ^ Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. rama
8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hrammjan
9. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. rām