*kind

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *kind "child" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *kinþą (“child”).^[1] EWA traces Old High German kind to Proto-Germanic *kenþa-,^[2] and Schaffner too takes *kenþa- as secured by the Old High German word.^[3] Köbler sets up *kinda- beside *kenda-, *kinþa- and *kenþa-.^[4]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[2][5]

Evidence

The word is attested in Old Frisian kind, Old Saxon kind,^[6][5] Old Dutch kint,^[7] and Old High German kind, from the 8th century.^[2] Köbler dates the oldest Old Dutch record to the 9th century.^[8] Wiktionary lists no Old English reflex.^[1]

Competing analyses

Whether the northern forms are inherited is disputed.^[2][9] EWA takes the Old Saxon, Old Dutch and Old Frisian words either, with Simon, for loans from Old High German, which it holds certain for Frisian because the initial consonant did not become an affricate there, or as continuing a variant *kenđa-, or, with Gallée, as going back to forms in which the syllable boundary fell between the nasal and the fricative, so that the nasal was kept.^[2] Schaffner finds the missing affrication decisive for a loan in Old Frisian, while nothing in the sound shape speaks against Old Saxon kind as inherited from *kenda-; but the oldest Upper German records, which keep the two consonant groups apart, almost all point to *-nþ-, so that Old High German gives no support to *kenda-.^[9] Boutkan and Siebinga set up Proto-Frisian *kind but take it as borrowed from High German,^[10] Bremmer derives the Old Frisian word from Old Saxon,^[11] and Köbler calls the Old Saxon word apparently a loan from the south.^[5]

Meanings

1. child^[1]

Old High German also used the word for "son" and for the young of an animal,^[2] Old Saxon for "youth",^[5] and Old Frisian for a descendant of the first degree.^[12]

Derivatives

• *kindōn "to bear a child, to raise a child", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[13] Old High German has kindōn (“to beget children, to give birth”).^[14]
• *steupakind "stepchild", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[15] Old Frisian has stiāpkind.^[16]

Reflexes

• Old Frisian: kind (“child, descendant”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: kind (“child, youth”)^[5]
• Old Dutch: kint (“child”)^[7]
• Old High German: kind (“child, son, young of an animal”)^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kind
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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. kind
3. ^ Schaffner, Stefan (2001), Das Vernersche Gesetz und der innerparadigmatische grammatische Wechsel des Urgermanischen im Nominalbereich, Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft 103, Innsbruck, p. 235
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *kinda-
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. kind
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. kind
7. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. kint
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. kind
9. ^ a b Schaffner, Stefan (2001), Das Vernersche Gesetz und der innerparadigmatische grammatische Wechsel des Urgermanischen im Nominalbereich, Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft 103, Innsbruck, p. 235–236
10. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. kind
11. ^ Bremmer, Rolf H., Jr. (2009), An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins, p. 202
12. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. kind
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kindōn
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. kindōn
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *steupakind
16. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. stiāpkind