𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌴𐌹

From Proto-Germanic *aiþį̄ (“mother”) (or *aiþǭ), a nursery term (Kroonen 2013). According to Mezger (1959), possibly originally meaning wife in a legal sense (a woman whose children are entitled to inherit as opposed to a concubine), from 𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃 (aiþs, “oath”); however, Kroonen regards this as implausible. Cognate with Old Norse eiða, Old High German *eidi (attested in fuotareidi (“nanny”)) and the thence inherited Middle High German eide.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛː.θiː/

𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌴𐌹 • (aiþei) f

1. mother
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, Luke 18:20:

     𐌸𐍉𐍃 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌱𐌿𐍃𐌽𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌺𐌰𐌽𐍄: 𐌽𐌹 𐌷𐍉𐍂𐌹𐌽𐍉𐍃; 𐌽𐌹 𐌼𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌹𐍃; 𐌽𐌹 𐌷𐌻𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍃; 𐌽𐌹 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍄𐍅𐍉𐌳𐍃 𐍃𐌹𐌾𐌰𐌹𐍃; 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍂𐌰𐌹 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌰𐌽 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽.

     þōs anabusnins kant: ni hōrinōs; ni maurþrjais; ni hlifais; ni galiugaweitwōds sijais; swērai attan þeinana jah aiþein.

     Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. (KJV)

• Kroonen, Guus, 'Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic' (Leiden 2013) 15.
• Mezger, Fritz, 'German, aiþa- „Eid, Eideshelfereid“ : got. aiþei „Mutter“', Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung auf dem Gebiete der Indogermanischen Sprachen 76 1/2 (1959) 85-86.