Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ferhwą

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

Probably derived from Proto-Germanic *ferhuz (“body; life; oak-tree”), itself from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“oak”), as oak trees symbolized life and vitality in Germanic mythology.

Old Norse fjǫrg (“gods”), from Proto-Germanic *fergō, could originally be the plural of this neuter (“vital forces”?), with analogical vocalism instead of the expected *furgō (with delabialization in this context).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɸer.xʷɑ̃/

Noun

*ferhwą n

1. (originally and in West Germanic) tree
2. body

   Synonyms: *būkaz, *lībą, *ferhuz, *līką, *kruppaz

   Hyponym: *līkahamô

3. life

   Synonyms: *lībą, *ferhuz

Inflection

neuter a-stemDeclension of *ferhwą (neuter a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*ferhwą	*ferhwō
vocative	*ferhwą	*ferhwō
accusative	*ferhwą	*ferhwō
genitive	*ferhwas, *ferhwis	*ferhwǫ̂
dative	*ferhwai	*ferhwamaz
instrumental	*ferhwō	*ferhwamiz

Derived terms

• *fermō
• *firhwiþō
• *firhwijaz

Related terms

• *ferhuz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *ferh
  • Old English: feorh, feorg
    • Middle English: fere, vore
  • Old Frisian: ferch
  • Old Saxon: ferh, ferah
  • Old High German: ferah
    • Middle High German: vërch
      • German: Ferch (obsolete)
• Old Norse: fjǫr
  • Icelandic: fjör
  • Faroese: fjør