Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/fōr

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 *péh₂wr̥ ~ *ph₂wéns (“fire”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɸɔːr/

Noun

*fōr n

fire
Synonyms: *ailą, *ailidaz, *uzjǭ

Inflection

The original heteroclitic alternation of r/n is preserved.

Simms posits several stages of development of this word. Since no single paradigm can be asserted for Proto-Germanic at any given point in time, the developments are detailed below.

Paradigm 1: The original paradigm as inherited from PIE.

paradigm 1Declension of *fōr (paradigm 1)
	singular
nominative	*fōr
vocative	*fōr
accusative	*fōr
genitive	*funiz
dative	*funi
instrumental	*funē

Paradigm 2: An alternative paradigm was later formed based on the stem *fu- and regular n-stem endings. The two formations coexisted side by side for a period.

paradigm 2Declension of *fōr (paradigm 2)
	singular
nominative	*fōr
vocative	*fōr
accusative	*fōr
genitive	*fuiniz
dative	*fuini
instrumental	*fuinē

Paradigm 3: At a certain point in time, the two paradigms above were blended, attaching n-stem endings to the stem *fun-. Paradigm 1 was lost after that, paradigms 2 and 3 continued to exist side by side.

paradigm 3Declension of *fōr (paradigm 3)
	singular
nominative	*fōr
vocative	*fōr
accusative	*fōr
genitive	*funiniz
dative	*funini
instrumental	*funinē

After the above stages, paradigms 2 and 3 finally split. In paradigm 2 the -r- was generalised to all forms, creating *fōr, *fuïr-, which is found in North and West Germanic. In paradigm 3, the -n- was generalised to the nominative, creating *fōn, *funin- as found in Gothic and in the Old Norse form funi.

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *fuir
- Old English: fȳr
  - Middle English: fyr, fier, vir, fer, fur
    - English: fire
      - → Japanese: ファイヤー (faiyā)
      - Sranan Tongo: faya
    - Scots: fyre, feier
    - Yola: vire, vier
- Old Frisian: fiūr, fiōr
  - Saterland Frisian: Fjúur
  - West Frisian: fjoer
- Old Saxon: fiur
  - Middle Low German: vǖr
    - German Low German: Füür, Füer, Für
    - Plautdietsch: Fia
- Old Dutch: fuïr
  - Middle Dutch: vuur
    - Dutch: vuur, vier (Southern)
      - Afrikaans: vuur
      - Javindo: vier
      - Jersey Dutch: vuer, vîr
      - Negerhollands: vuur, fi, vier
      - Skepi Creole Dutch: fir
    - Limburgish: vuur
    - West Flemish: vier
    - Zealandic: vier
- Old High German: fuïr (early), fiur
  - Middle High German: viur, viwer, viuwer
    - Alemannic German: Füür
      Alsatian: Fiir
      Swabian: Feier, Fuiet, Fuur, Feiar
      Walser: fir
    - Bavarian: Faia, Feia
      Cimbrian: vôar, bôar, vaür
      Mòcheno: vaier
    - Central Franconian: Füür, Feier, Fouer
      Hunsrik: Feier, fayer
    - German: Feuer
    - East Central German:
      Silesian East Central German: Feier
    - Rhine Franconian:
      Palatine German: Faia
      Pennsylvania German: Feier
    - Luxembourgish: Feier
    - Vilamovian: faojer
    - Yiddish: פֿײַער (fayer)
Old Norse: fúrr, fýr, fýrir, funi
- Icelandic: fúrr, fúr, fýr, fýri, funi
- Faroese: fýrur
- Norn: foni
- Norwegian Bokmål: fyr
- Norwegian Nynorsk: fyr
- Swedish: fyr
- Old Danish: für
  - Danish: fyr
Gothic: 𐍆𐍉𐌽 (fōn)
- → Portuguese: fona