*hwan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *hwan "when".^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“when”),^[1] which Ringe and Taylor write *hwan(a) "when?", beside Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan).^[2] Köbler gives the Proto-Germanic adverb as *hwana.^[3][4]

Morphology

An adverb and conjunction.^[3][5]

Evidence

The short form is attested in Old Saxon hwan in the Heliand,^[3][5] and in Old Frisian hwan, also hwon.^[4] Old English has hwan (“why, to what end”) only after prepositions, in forhwan and tōhwan.^[6][7] Old English hwanne, Old High German wanne and Old Dutch wanna, recorded in Williram's commentary of about 1100, have a longer form.^[8][9][10] Krogh notes that only in English did þon and hwon become regular case forms standing after prepositions, and that since the discovery of the Heliand fragment S an Old Saxon ⟨-hwon⟩ can be set beside them; he gives this agreement little weight.^[11]

Competing analyses

Ringe and Taylor derive the Old English and Old High German forms from a Proto-West Germanic *hwannā, beside *þannā "then", which became Old English hwonne and Old High German wanna.^[2] Krogh reports the view that the Germanic forms without a final ⟨-a⟩ are a separate word, *þan "so", and that the interrogative *hwan was formed after it by analogy.^[11]

Meanings

1. when^[1][2]

Old Saxon also used it as a conjunction "for",^[3] and Old Frisian for "if".^[4]

Reflexes

• Old English: hwan (“why, to what end”), only in compounds^[6]
• Old Frisian: hwan (“when, if”)^[4]
• Old Saxon: hwan (“when, for”)^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hwan
2. ^ a b c Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 202
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hwan
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hwan
5. ^ a b Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 213
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hwan
7. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. hwan
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hwanne
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wanne
10. ^ Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. wanna
11. ^ a b Krogh, Steffen (1996), Die Stellung des Altsächsischen im Rahmen der germanischen Sprachen, Studien zum Althochdeutschen 29, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht