*treuwu

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *treuwu "fidelity, pledge" for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Fulk writes the same form.^[2] Ringe and Taylor write the Proto-West Germanic stem as *treuwō, with a separate form for the nominative singular.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *trewwō (“fidelity, agreement”),^[3][2] which Orel also writes *trewwō and Köbler *trewō, *trewwō.^[4][5] Orel takes it for the adjective *trewwaz used as a noun,^[4] and Wiktionary for a noun formed from Proto-Germanic *triwwiz (“true, faithful”).^[6] The geminates *jj and *ww of Proto-Germanic became stops in Gothic and Old Norse, the "Verschärfung", as in Gothic 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌰 (triggwa, “covenant”); in West Germanic the first half of the geminate developed like the second element of a diphthong, through a reanalysis that Ringe and Taylor think happened only once, at the Proto-West Germanic stage.^[7][6] Fulk gives *trewwō > *treuwu as an example of the diphthongs that arose as a consequence of the Verschärfung, unless the Verschärfung itself came from an analogical extension of diphthongs rather than a doubling of glides.^[2] Ringe and Taylor set beside the noun the adjective *(ga)triuwī "trustworthy", from Proto-Germanic *trewwaz.^[3]

Morphology

A feminine ō-stem, in Old English a wō-stem.^[8][9] Berr notes that the Old Saxon word is used mostly in the plural.^[10]

Evidence

The noun is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English trēow, Old Frisian triūwe, Old Saxon treuwa and Old High German triuwa,^[3] the Old High German word from before 790,^[9] and Old Dutch triuwa, written ⟨truwa⟩ in Williram's commentary of about 1100 and ⟨trivwe⟩ in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible.^[11] Gamillscheg derives French trêve (“truce”), recorded in the 12th century as Old French trieve, from Frankish *treuwa.^[12] Köbler also lists Medieval Latin trewa "obligation, treaty, truce" with this family.^[5]

Meanings

1. fidelity, faith^[1][3]
2. pledge, agreement^[1][3]

Old English also used the word for "truth, belief" and "favour",^[13] Old Frisian for "promise of marriage",^[14] and Old Saxon for "peace" and "alliance".^[15]

Derivatives

• *treuwēn "to be faithful; to trust", which Wiktionary derives from both the adjective and the noun;^[16] Köbler derives Old High German triuwēn (“to ally oneself”), recorded from the 9th century, from triuwa.^[17]
• *triuwijan "to make faithful; to trust", which Wiktionary reconstructs from Proto-Germanic *triwwijaną.^[18]

Reflexes

• Old English: trēow (“fidelity, truth, promise, pledge”)^[13]
• Old Frisian: triūwe (“fidelity, promise, agreement”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: treuwa (“fidelity, peace, alliance”)^[15]
• Old Dutch: triuwa (“fidelity”)^[11]
• Old High German: triuwa (“fidelity, faith, agreement”)^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *treuwu
2. ^ a b c Fulk, R. D. (2018), A Comparative Grammar of the Early Germanic Languages, Studies in Germanic Linguistics 3, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins, p. §4.10
3. ^ a b c d e f Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 66
4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 410
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *trewō
6. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *trewwō
7. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 65–66
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. tréow
9. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. triuwa
10. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 403
11. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. triuwa
12. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 915
13. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. trēow
14. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. triūwe
15. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. treuwa
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *treuwēn
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. triuwēn
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *triuwijan