*swār

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *swār for Proto-West Germanic,^[1][2] and Wiktionary has the same form.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *swēraz (“heavy”),^[1][4] which Kroonen cites by its stem *swēra-.^[5] Boutkan and Siebinga write its vowel as *ē₁, Proto-Germanic *swē₁ra- and Proto-Frisian *swē₁r.^[6] In stressed syllables Proto-Germanic *ē was lowered and backed to *ā in Proto-Northwest Germanic,^[7] and Ringe and Taylor trace the adjective through Proto-Northwest Germanic *swāraz, continued by Old Norse svárr, to Proto-West Germanic *swār.^[1] Gothic has the cognate 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍂𐍃 (swērs, “respected, honoured”).^[1][4][8]

Morphology

An adjective.^[9][10] Old High German has both swār and swāri.^[1][11] Kroonen takes the Proto-Germanic adjective for a vṛddhi formation to an unattested strong verb,^[5] and Heidermanns for a lengthened-grade formation beside a primary verb attested in Lithuanian.^[12]

Evidence

The adjective is attested as Old English swǣr, Old Frisian swēr, Old Saxon swār and Old High German swār.^[2] EWA records the Old High German word in glosses from the late 8th century on, and cites the word from early Middle Dutch swaer.^[10] Köbler dates the first Old Saxon record to about 830.^[9] In Old English the long ⟨ā⟩ was fronted to ⟨ǣ⟩ in West Saxon and fronted and raised to ⟨ē⟩ in Kentish and Anglian, and Old Frisian also has ⟨ē⟩: West Saxon ⟨swǣr⟩, Northumbrian and Old Frisian ⟨swēr⟩.^[1] West Saxon also has forms with ⟨ā⟩ such as the dative plural ⟨swārum⟩.^[13]

Meanings

1. heavy^[1][3]

Heidermanns takes the first meaning of the Germanic adjective to be "of great weight, weighty", from which come both "honourable" and "heavy, troublesome".^[12] Northumbrian Old English used it for "lazy",^[13] Old English also for "difficult",^[5] Old Frisian also for "pregnant",^[14] and Old Saxon also for "glorious".^[9]

Derivatives

• *swārī "heaviness", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[15] Old High German has swārī (“heaviness, burden, weight”).^[16]
• *swārēn "to be heavy, to become heavy", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[17] Orel derives Proto-Germanic *swērēnan from the adjective and cites Old Frisian swēria (“to be too heavy”).^[4]
• *swārijan "to make heavy, to oppress", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[18] Köbler sets up Proto-Germanic *swērjan for Old High German swāren (“to burden, to oppress”).^[19]

Reflexes

• Old English: swǣr (“heavy, burdensome, oppressive, sluggish”)^[20]
• Old Frisian: swēr (“heavy, difficult, bad, burdensome, pregnant”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: swār (“heavy, burdensome, glorious”)^[9]
• Old High German: swār (“heavy, ponderous, difficult”)^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 149
2. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 239
3. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *swār
4. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 396
5. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 499
6. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. swer
7. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 10
8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *swēraz
9. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. swār
10. ^ 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. swâr
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. swāri
12. ^ a b Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. swēra-
13. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 199
14. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. swēr
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *swārī
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. swārī
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *swārēn
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *swārijan
19. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *swērjan
20. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. swǣr