*sibi

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *sibi "sieve",^[1] and Stiles derives the Wangeroogic Frisian form siivii, through Old Wangeroogic *sivi, from a West Germanic form, *sib-i.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *sibiz (“sieve”), which Köbler sets up as a neuter i-stem *sibi-, *sibiz, beside an a-stem *siba-, *sibam;^[3][4] EWA also derives the West Germanic words from Proto-Germanic *siƀi-.^[5]

Morphology

A neuter noun.^[6][5] EWA takes Old High German sib for an i-stem,^[5] and Köbler Old English sife,^[7] while Köbler puts the Old Saxon and Old High German words among the a-stems.^[8][9]

Evidence

The word is attested as Old English sife, glossing Latin cribrum,^[7] Old Saxon sif, as ⟨siph⟩ for cribellum in glosses of the early 11th century,^[8] and Old High German sib, from the 9th century in glosses and in Otfrid.^[5] In the registers of the abbey of Werden an implement is called ⟨sif⟩ in the vernacular, which ONW counts as Old Dutch and dates 901–1200,^[10] while Köbler counts the same record as Old Saxon.^[8] For Frisian, Stiles cites Wangeroogic siivii as an example of final -ii from *-i after a light syllable, where final vowels were lost after heavy ones.^[2]

Competing analyses

Casaretto lists *sibiz- "sieve" among the s-stems that have no cognates outside the Germanic languages and so may be Germanic new formations; he adds that the reconstruction of an s-stem is not certain for forms found only in West Germanic, being sometimes based on i-umlaut alone.^[11] EWA doubts that Old Norse sef (“rush”), perhaps "plant with a perforated stem", belongs here, since it would have another stem formation,^[5] while Holthausen compares it.^[6] EWA allows a connection with Old High German seifar, from Proto-Germanic *sai̯f-ra- : *sai̯ƀ-ra-, if *siƀ-i- comes from pre-Proto-Germanic *sip-í-.^[12]

Meanings

1. sieve^[1][3]

Reflexes

• Old English: sife (“sieve”)^[6]
• Old Saxon: sif (“sieve”)^[8]
• Old Dutch: sif (“sieve”)^[10]
• Old High German: sib (“sieve”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *sibi
2. ^ a b Stiles, Patrick V (2008), A note on the development of Old Wangeroogic *e and *o in open syllables, Us Wurk 57, 176–194, p. n. 14
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *sibi-, *sibiz
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *siba-, *sibam
5. ^ 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. sib
6. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. sife
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. sife
8. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. sif
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. sib
10. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. sif
11. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter
12. ^ 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. seifar¹