*seldanā

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adverb *seldanā "seldom, rarely" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *seldanē (“seldom”),^[1][2] which Orel writes *selđanē̆, while Köbler and EWA cite the adjective stem *seldana-, *selđana-.^[2][3][4] EWA derives *selđana- from *selđa- "rare", which survives as the first part of compounds such as Old High German seltsāni, Gothic 𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (sildaleiks, “wonderful”), Old Saxon seldlīk (“strange, wonderful”) and Old English seldlīc.^[4] Orel likewise derives the adverb from an unattested *selđan or *selđaz.^[2]

Morphology

An adverb.^[5][4] Most of the Germanic languages use the word as an adverb, and EWA takes its use as an adjective for secondary.^[4] In Old English the comparative seldor and superlative seldost belong to *selđa-, beside a comparative seldnor formed to seldan.^[4]

Evidence

The adverb is attested as Old English seldan, glossing Latin rārō,^[5] Old Frisian selda, also ⟨sielda⟩, ⟨silda⟩ and ⟨sielden⟩,^[6] Old Dutch seldon, recorded as ⟨Selden⟩ in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible of 1151–1200,^[7] and Old High German seltan, in glosses from the last quarter of the 8th century;^[4] North Germanic has Old Norse sjaldan.^[2] Old Saxon has only the adjective Old Saxon seldan (“unprecedented”), as ⟨seltaneru⟩ glossing inaudītus.^[8] Old English also has seldum, and EWA explains the -m of English seldom from adverbs that were dative plurals, such as hwīlum (“at times”).^[4]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary analyses *seldanā either as *seld "rare" with an ablative adverb suffix *-anā, or as an adjective *seldan "rare" with the adverbial ending *-ā.^[1] Köbler sets up a Proto-Germanic adjective *seldana- "rare",^[3] while EWA, though it starts from *selđana- as well, finds the adverb primary.^[4]

Meanings

1. seldom, rarely^[1][2]

Old Frisian also used the word as an understatement for "never".^[6]

Reflexes

• Old English: seldan (“seldom”)^[9]
• Old Frisian: selda (“seldom, never”)^[6]
• Old Dutch: seldon (“seldom”)^[7]
• Old High German: seltan (“seldom, rare”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *seldanā
2. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 323
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *seldana-
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. seltan
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. seldan
6. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. selda
7. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. seldon
8. ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. seldan
9. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. seldan