*naht

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *naht for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Ringe and Taylor's paradigm has the nominative singular *naht.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *nahts (“night”),^[3] which Kroonen cites by its stem *naht- and Köbler as *naht-, *nahtiz.^[4][5] The Proto-Germanic genitive singular *nahtiz, dative singular *nahti and nominative plural *nahtiz all became Proto-West Germanic *nahti.^[3]

Morphology

A feminine root noun.^[2] Ringe and Taylor reconstruct the Proto-West Germanic paradigm as singular nominative *naht, accusative *nahtu, genitive and dative-instrumental *nahti, and plural nominative and accusative *nahti, genitive *nahtō, dative-instrumental *nahtum.^[2] EWA notes that the consonant stem survives in all the Germanic languages except Old Frisian, beside secondary forms of other stem classes, such as the i-stem forms of Old High German.^[6] Old Saxon also has it as a masculine a-stem.^[7] The Old English dative singular niht, without an ending, continues *nahti and may have served as the model for endingless dæġ, while the genitive ending of "day" spread to "night" in adverbial use, as in early West Saxon nihtes.^[8]

Evidence

The noun is attested in Old English niht, Old Frisian nacht, Old Saxon naht, Old Dutch naht and Old High German naht.^[5] Ringe and Taylor derive the Old English vowel from i-umlaut in *nahti, West Saxon *niehti, and the nominative singular took over this form by levelling.^[3] Old Frisian shows no i-mutation, because the forms without it spread through the paradigm.^[9] In Old Dutch, Köbler records naht in the psalms of the 9th century,^[10] and ONW in Williram's commentary of 1100.^[11]

Meanings

1. night^[2][1]

Old English also used the word for "darkness",^[12] and Old High German for "evening" and "darkness".^[6]

Derivatives

• *nahtas "at night", which Wiktionary derives from *naht with the ending of *dagas "by day";^[13] Ringe and Taylor describe the spread of the genitive ending from "day" to "night" in adverbial use, as in Old English nihtes.^[8]
• *nahtigalā "nightingale", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[14] Köbler lists Old English nihtegale, Old Saxon nahtagala and Old High German nahtgala.^[15]
• *nahtēn "to become night", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[16] Köbler lists Old English nihtian and Old High German nahtēn.^[17]

Reflexes

• Old English: niht (“night, darkness”)^[12]
• Old Frisian: nacht (“night”)^[18]
• Old Saxon: naht (“night”)^[7]
• Old Dutch: naht (“night”)^[11]
• Old High German: naht (“night, evening, darkness”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *naht
2. ^ 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. 117
3. ^ a b c Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 240
4. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 381
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *naht-
6. ^ a b c 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. naht
7. ^ a b Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. naht
8. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 380
9. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. nacht
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. naht
11. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. naht
12. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. niht
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *nahtas
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *nahtigalā
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *nahtagalō-, *nahtagalōn
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *nahtēn
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *nahtōn
18. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. nacht