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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

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Etymology

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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

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Noun

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*fergunją n

  1. mountain

Inflection

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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

Descendants

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