Reconstruction:Old English/gnast

This Old English 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.

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gahnaistō, from Proto-Germanic *gahnaistô (“spark”), from Proto-Germanic *ga- + Proto-Germanic *hnaistô (“spark”), perhaps from the ultimate (imitative) source of German knistern (“to crackle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡnɑːst/

Noun

*gnāst m

1. spark

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	*gnāst	*gnāstas
accusative	*gnāst	*gnāstas
genitive	*gnāstes	*gnāsta
dative	*gnāste	*gnāstum

Derived terms

• fȳrgnāst

Descendants

• Middle English: gnast, knast, gnaist, gnost
  • English: gnast
• ⇒ Old English: fȳrgnāst