Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ēnu

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

Alternative forms

• *ēnō, *ēnau, *inō
• *enu, *ēneu

Etymology

Dunkel reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *énu (“along, after”) for Gothic and lengthened grade *ḗnu for North and West Germanic. Kroonen derives Alemannic and Cimbrian from *ēneu and unites this with the forms *ēnu and *enu by positing a Proto-Indo-European u-stem noun *h₂ḗn-u, loc. *h₂n-éw, from *h₂en- (“to scoop”), which could also explain Ancient Greek ἄνευ (áneu).

Preposition

*ēnu

1. (with instrumental) without

Descendants

• Old Frisian: ōne, ōni
• Old Saxon: āno
  • Middle Low German: āne
    • Low German: ahn
• Old Dutch: *āna
  • Middle Dutch: ane, an, on
    • ⇒ Middle Dutch: ane dancs, ondancs
      • Dutch: ondanks
      • Limburgish: óndanks, óndanx
• Old High German: āno, ānu, āna, āne
  • Middle High German: âne, ân
    • Alemannic German: ooni, ohni, ouni
    • Bavarian:
      • Cimbrian: ane
    • Central Franconian: ohne, ohni, ohnt
      • Luxembourgish: ouni
    • East Central German: ohne
      • Vilamovian: ona
    • German: ohne
    • Yiddish: אָן (on)
• Proto-Norse: *ᚨᚾᚢ (*anu /⁠ānu⁠/)
  • Old Norse: án, ón
    • Icelandic: án
    • Faroese: ón
    • → Middle English: *on, on-
      • English: on, ohn
      • Scots: on-, ohn-
• Gothic: 𐌹𐌽𐌿 (inu), 𐌹𐌽𐌿𐌷 (inuh)