< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic

Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kangura-

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

Uncertain; possibly related to English kink (“curl, turn, twist”), Icelandic kengur (“hook”), and if the word is of Indo-European origin, it may be further related to Old Church Slavonic гѫжвица (gǫžvica, “wicker”) and Czech houžev (“withy”), all from Proto-Indo-European *gengʰ- (“twist, turn, plait, weave”)[1]. Finnish kankuri (“weaver”) is probably borrowed from Germanic[2] together with Finnish kangas (“web”); alternatively, the present word could be borrowed from Finnish[3].

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈkɑŋ.ɡu.rɑz/

Noun

*kangura- ?[2]

  1. The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
    1. net, plait, web
    2. weaver, spider

Reconstruction notes

According to Íslensk orðsifjabók, the word's original meaning may have been "net, plait, something woven", hence the sense of Old Norse kǫngurváfa (“spider”) would be “web-weaveress”; but Finnish kankuri, clearly the same etymon, means “weaver”, which is close to the sense of German Kanker (“spider < he who weaves”). However, Kanker is also attested as Ganker and a relation to Proto-Germanic *gangjaną (“go”) is also possible[1], in which case Kanker would be unrelated to the English and North Germanic descendants listed below; that is, if Kanker was not remade in a way similar to that of the first element of Old English gangewifre and gangelwæfre, which are usually seen as being of the same origin as kǫngurváfa[1][2]

Inflection
masculine a-stemDeclension of *kanguraz (masculine a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *kanguraz *kangurōz, *kangurōs
vocative *kangur *kangurōz, *kangurōs
accusative *kangurą *kanguranz
genitive *kanguras, *kanguris *kangurǫ̂
dative *kangurai *kanguramaz
instrumental *kangurō *kanguramiz

or

neuter a-stemDeclension of *kangurą (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *kangurą *kangurō
vocative *kangurą *kangurō
accusative *kangurą *kangurō
genitive *kanguras, *kanguris *kangurǫ̂
dative *kangurai *kanguramaz
instrumental *kangurō *kanguramiz

Descendants
  • Old English: *gangel, *gange
    • ⇒ Old English: gangelwæfre f (“spider”)
    • ⇒ Old English: gangewifre f (“spider”)
  • >? Middle High German: kanker m (“spider”)
    • German: Kanker (“harvestman”)
  • Old Norse: *kǫngur-
    • ⇒ Old Norse: kǫngurváfa f (“spider”)
    • →? Finnish: kankuri (“weaver”)

References
  1. “Kanker” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  2. “köngurváfa” in: Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon — Íslensk orðsifjabók, (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans. (Available on Málið.is under the “Eldra mál” tab.)
  3. kangro in Johan Ernst Rietz, Svenskt dialektlexikon (1862–1867)
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