Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/mistilaz

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 reconstructions

• *mistilǭ f

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Indo-European *me (“with, mid”) and a zero-grade of *sed- (“to sit”) due to the fact that the plant parasitizes “sitting” on other plants, with the diminutive suffix +‎ *-ilaz or +‎ *-ilǭ known from Proto-Germanic *þistilaz (“thistle”) and Proto-West Germanic *natilā (“nettle”), compare for this derivation type Proto-Indo-European *nisdós (“nest”) and Proto-Indo-European *písdeh₂ (“pudendum”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmi.sti.lɑz/

Noun

*mistilaz m

1. mistletoe

Inflection

masculine a-stemDeclension of *mistilaz (masculine a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*mistilaz	*mistilōz, *mistilōs
vocative	*mistil	*mistilōz, *mistilōs
accusative	*mistilą	*mistilanz
genitive	*mistilas, *mistilis	*mistilǫ̂
dative	*mistilai	*mistilamaz
instrumental	*mistilō	*mistilamiz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *mistil
  • Old English: mistel
    • Middle English: mistel, mistell, mystil, mystill, mystyl
      • English: mistle
      • Scots: misle
  • Old Frisian: *mistel
    • West Frisian: mistel
  • Old Saxon: mistil
    • Middle Low German: mistel
      • German Low German: Mistel
      • ⇒ Plautdietsch: Mistelplaunt
  • Old Dutch: *mistil
    • Middle Dutch: mistel
      • Dutch: mistel
  • Old High German: mistil
    • Middle High German: mistel
      • German: Mistel
• Old Norse: *mistil; mistilteinn
  • Danish: mistelten
  • Icelandic: mistilteinn
  • Faroese: mistilteinur
  • Norwegian Bokmål: misteltein
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: misteltein
  • Swedish: mistel
  • →? Old English: misteltān (calque)
    • Middle English: mistelto, mistilte, mistilto, mysleto, mystyldene
      • English: mistletoe

References

• Balles, Irene (1999) “Zum germanischen Namen der Mistel”, in Historische Sprachforschung / Historical Linguistics‎^[1] (in German), volume 112, number 1, pages 137–142