*niwi

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *niwi, with the stem *niwwja- (phonemically *niwja-), for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Wiktionary has *niwi.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *niwjaz (“new”),^[1] which Kroonen cites as *neuja-, Orel as *neujaz and Köbler as *neuja-, *niwja-.^[3][4][5] Ringe and Taylor take it as their clearest example that the cluster *wj too underwent West Germanic gemination, which is obvious when the vowel before it was *i.^[1] Old English developed *nīowī, whence West Saxon nīewe, with other vowels in Northumbrian and Mercian.^[6]

Morphology

A ja-stem adjective.^[7][8] In Old English its combining form lost the *w before *i, as in nīcenned (“newborn”) and nīcumen (“newly come”).^[9]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in Old Frisian nī, Old Saxon niuwi and Old High German niuwi,^[6] and in Old Dutch niuwi, recorded in the Old Low Franconian psalms of the 10th century, where Köbler finds ⟨nuuui⟩ glossing Latin novellus, and in Williram's commentary of 1100.^[10][11] For the Old Frisian forms ⟨nia⟩, ⟨nie⟩ Boutkan and Siebinga note that *niuwa, *niuwe would be expected, and, following van Helten, derive them from the stem ⟨nī-⟩ of the nominative *nī with the endings added.^[12]

Meanings

1. new^[1][2]

Old English also used the word for "fresh" and "unheard of",^[13] Old Frisian for "newly minted",^[14] and Old High German for "young, fresh, inexperienced".^[8]

Derivatives

• *niuwjan and *niuwjōn "to renew", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[15][16] Orel derives the weak verb *neujanan from the adjective and lists it in Old Saxon and in Old High German niuwen.^[4]
• Köbler and EWA list a feminine abstract formed to the adjective, Old High German niuwī (“renewal, novelty”).^[17][18]

Reflexes

• Old English: nīewe (“new, fresh, unheard of”)^[13]
• Old Frisian: nī (“new, newly minted”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: niuwi (“new”)^[19]
• Old Dutch: niuwi (“new”)^[10]
• Old High German: niuwi (“new, young, fresh, inexperienced”)^[8]

References

1. ^ 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. 53
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *niwi
3. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 389
4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 284
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *neuja-
6. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 249
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nīwe
8. ^ 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. niuwi
9. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 259
10. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. niuwi
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nūwi
12. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. ni
13. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. niewe
14. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. nī
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *niuwjan
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *niuwjōn
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. niuwī
18. ^ 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. niuwî
19. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. niuwi