*stundu

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *stundu "period of time, hour" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *stundō (“point in time, period of time”),^[2][3] which Orel writes *stunđō and EWA *stunđō-.^[4][5] Boutkan and Siebinga set up Proto-Frisian *stundi.^[6]

Morphology

A feminine ō-stem.^[7][8][9] Old Saxon and Old High German have both strong and weak forms.^[10][5]

Evidence

The word is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English stund,^[11] Old Frisian stunde, with a by-form stonde in Old West Frisian that shows the lowering of *u to o before nasals,^[6] Old Saxon stunda in the Heliand,^[9] Old Dutch stunda in Williram's commentary of about 1100 and in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible,^[12] and Old High German stunta, from the late 8th century.^[5] Old High German also has an indeclinable stunt "time, occasion", used to form numeral adverbs.^[13] EWA holds that Romance borrowed the word from Old Low Franconian and perhaps at times from Gothic: Old French estondee (“moment”), Catalan estona (“while”).^[5]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary takes the Proto-Germanic noun for a zero-grade derivative of *standaną "to stand",^[2] Orel derives it from *stẽnan, *stanđanan,^[4] and Berr also sees an ablaut relationship with the Old Saxon verb "to stand".^[14] EWA allows such a zero-grade derivative, with the first meaning "point in time", but finds the link formally difficult, since an early Proto-Germanic *stunþ-ṓ- beside *stánþ-e/a- has no direct parallels; it knows no alternative.^[5] Boutkan and Siebinga find no certain Indo-European etymology: besides the formal problem the semantics is not fully convincing, and the relation to Old Norse stund (“labour”) remains unclear.^[6]

Orel reports Meier's derivation of the word from a Romance *extunda "short period of time".^[4] EWA describes this alternative, a Vulgar Latin *stunda from *extunda and ultimately from Latin rotunda, with the Germanic and Romance words alike only by chance, and rejects it: it needs further assumptions, and the distribution of the Romance words suits a Germanic origin.^[5]

Meanings

1. period of time^[1]
2. hour^[1]

Old English also used the word for "short time, moment, point in time",^[11] and Old Frisian and Old High German for "time, occasion".^[15][5]

Derivatives

• *stundōn "to start; to strive; to pause", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[16] Orel derives Proto-Germanic *stunđōjanan, with Old English āstundian, from the noun.^[4]

Reflexes

• Old English: stund (“short time, moment, time, hour”)^[11]
• Old Frisian: stunde (“hour, time, occasion”)^[15]
• Old Saxon: stunda (“while, hour, time”)^[10]
• Old Dutch: stunda (“moment, time”)^[12]
• Old High German: stunta (“hour, time, moment, occasion”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *stundu
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *stundō
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *stundō
4. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 383
5. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. stunta
6. ^ a b c Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. stunde
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. stund
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. stunde
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. stunda
10. ^ a b Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. stunda
11. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. stund
12. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. stunda
13. ^ 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. stunt
14. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 384
15. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. stunde
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *stundōn