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*rūm

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-West Germanic word *rūm

*rūm1 roomy, spacious

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Proto-Germanic *rūmaz

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adjective *rūm "roomy, spacious" for Proto-West Germanic.[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *rūmaz (“roomy, spacious”),[2][3] which Kroonen cites by its stem *rūma- and Orel as *rūmaz.[3][2] EWA notes that Old High German, Middle High German and Middle Dutch extended the Proto-Germanic *rūma- to *rūmija-.[4]

Morphology

An adjective.[2][5] The Old High German form is a ja-stem, the result of that extension.[4]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in Old English rūm, Old Frisian rūm and Old High German rūmi.[3][2] EWA infers an Old Saxon *rūm "wide" from the adverb rūmo (“far away”) and the Middle Low German adjective, and finds the Old Dutch adjective only in place names.[4] Köbler records the Old Saxon adverb in the Heliand.[6] De Vaan, following de Vries, explains the place names Rumst and Rumpt in the Betuwe as containing *rūm- "spacious" with an element that caused i-umlaut.[7] In Old High German the adjective is recorded from the end of the 8th century, in glosses and other texts.[4]

Meanings

  1. roomy, spacious[3][1]

Old English also used the adjective for "open, ample, generous",[5] Old Frisian for "free from obstacles",[8] and Old High German for "far, distant".[4]

Derivatives

  • *rūmiþu "roominess, space", which Wiktionary reconstructs from the adjective;[9] Old High German formed another abstract noun from it, Old High German rūmī (“space, roominess”).[10]

Reflexes

  • Old English: rūm (“roomy, wide, open, ample, generous”)[5]
  • Old Frisian: rūm (“free, unhindered”)[8]
  • Old High German: rūmi (“wide, far, roomy, large”)[4]

*rūm2 room, open space

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Proto-Germanic *rūmą

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the noun *rūm "room, open space".[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *rūmą (“room, space”),[11][2] which Orel writes *rūman and Köbler *rūma-, *rūmam;[2][12] Köbler also sets up a masculine *rūmaz.[12] Kroonen lists the noun "space" under the adjective.[13] Orel bases the noun on the adjective, and EWA and Casaretto take it for the adjective used as a noun.[2][14][15]

Morphology

The gender differs among the daughters: neuter in Old English,[5] a masculine a-stem in Old Saxon and Old High German,[14] masculine in Old Dutch,[16] and perhaps neuter in Old Frisian.[14] Orel gives the Proto-Germanic noun as neuter or masculine.[2]

Evidence

The noun is attested as Old English rūm,[17] Old Saxon rūm "distance" in the Heliand,[18][19] Old Dutch rūm, recorded as ⟨ruom⟩ "chamber" in Williram's commentary of 1100,[16] and Old High German rūm, in glosses from the 10th century on.[14] Old Frisian has rūm only in the sense "authorization, permission".[8][14] Gamillscheg finds two stems in French arrimer (“to stow cargo”), a word of the 14th century; one of them is Old French run (“ship's hold”), which he derives from Frankish *rūm (“room”).[20][21]

Meanings

  1. room, open space[1]

Old English also used the noun for "opportunity",[17] Old Saxon for "distance",[19] and Old High German for "interval, distance".[14]

Derivatives

  • *rūmijan "to make room, to clear out", which Wiktionary reconstructs from the noun;[22] Ringe and Taylor trace Old English rȳman to Proto-Northwest Germanic *rūmijaną "to make room, to clear out", beside Old Frisian rēma, Old Saxon rūmian and Old High German rūmen.[23]

Reflexes

  • Old English: rūm (“room, opportunity”)[17]
  • Old Frisian: rūm (“authorization, permission”)[8]
  • Old Saxon: rūm (“distance”)[19]
  • Old Dutch: rūm (“chamber”)[16]
  • Old High German: rūm (“interval, space, distance”)[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rūm
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 309
  3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 417
  4. ^ a b c d e f 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. rûmi
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rūm
  6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rūmo
  7. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2017), The Dawn of Dutch: Language Contact in the Western Low Countries before 1200, NOWELE Supplement Series 30, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins, p. 403
  8. ^ a b c d Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. rūm
  9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rūmiþu
  10. ^ 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. rûmî
  11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rūmą
  12. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *rūma-
  13. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 418
  14. ^ 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. rûm
  15. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. rum
  16. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. rūm
  17. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. rūm
  18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rūm
  19. ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. rūm
  20. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 60
  21. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1970), Romania Germanica: Sprach- und Siedlungsgeschichte der Germanen auf dem Boden des alten Römerreichs, vol. 1: Zu den ältesten Berührungen zwischen Römern und Germanen. Die Franken, 2nd ed., Berlin: de Gruyter, p. 449
  22. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rūmijan
  23. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 224

Related etymologies

  • *stain · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *beran · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *sōkijan · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *fimf · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hail · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hertā · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *busk · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *reht · also from Proto-Germanic
Cite this entry

“*rūm.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gmw-pro/*r%C5%ABm. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·