Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/fergunją
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This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence. |
Proto-Germanic
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *pérwn̥-yo-m, from *pérwr̥ (“rock, mountain”), or from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“oak tree”). The former possibility would have an unexplained irregular development of w > g in Germanic, while the latter matches in form but poses difficulties in the meaning.
The existence in Old Norse of a masculine noun Fjǫrgyn (“Frigg's father”) (ostensibly from Proto-Germanic *fergunjaz (“masculine divine personification of mountainland”)) alongside the feminine noun Fjǫrgyn (“Thor's mother; earth, land, mountain”) (from Proto-Germanic *fergunjō (“feminine divine personification of mountainland”)) and the neuter, whose original meaning in Proto-Germanic can be reconstructed as “(forested) mountain(land)”, suggests that the underlying term was a Proto-Germanic adjective *fergunjaz, probably cognate with Proto-Celtic *Φerkunyos (“Hercynian Forest”) (presumably originally an appellative meaning “forested (mountain)land”), also apparently originally an adjective (compare the Gallo-Latin adjective found in Hercynia silva alongside Hercynius saltus), which in both cases can be reconstructed as meaning “forested”. The suggested derivation from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- fits this well and suggests an original meaning “covered in oaks” for Proto-Indo-European *perk(ʷ)unyos, rather than a noun meaning “forest”.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɸer.ɣun.jɑ̃/
Inflection
| neuter ja-stemDeclension of *fergunją (neuter ja-stem) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | *fergunją | *fergunjō | |
| vocative | *fergunją | *fergunjō | |
| accusative | *fergunją | *fergunjō | |
| genitive | *fergunjas, *fergunis | *fergunjǫ̂ | |
| dative | *fergunjai | *fergunjamaz | |
| instrumental | *fergunjō | *fergunjamiz | |