Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/selhaz

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

This section or reconstruction entry lacks references or sources. Please help verify this information by adding appropriate citations. You can also discuss it at the Tea Room.

Etymology

Unknown. Likely either from pre-Proto-Finnic *šülkeš (later Proto-Finnic *hülgeh; compare Finnish hylje, Estonian hüljes) or from a related substrate source. Derivation from Proto-Indo-European *selk- (“to pull”), while possible, is ad hoc.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsel.xɑz/

Noun

*selhaz m

seal (animal)

Inflection

masculine a-stemDeclension of *selhaz (masculine a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*selhaz	selhōz, selhōs
vocative	*selh	selhōz, selhōs
accusative	*selhą	*selhanz
genitive	selhas, selhis	*selhǫ̂
dative	*selhai	*selhamaz
instrumental	*selhō	*selhamiz

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *selh
- Old English: seolh
  - Middle English: *selh, sele
    - Early Scots: selich
      - Scots: selch, selkie, silkie
    - English: seal
- Old Frisian: *selch
  - North Frisian: selich
- Old Saxon: *selh, *selah
  - Middle Low German: sēl, sale
    - Plautdietsch: Säajel
    - ⇒ Low German: saalhund
- Old Dutch: *selh
  - Middle Dutch: sēel, sāel, sēle
- Old High German: selah
  - Middle High German: sëleh
    - German: Seel (obsolete)
      - ⇒ German: Seelhund ⇒ Seehund
Old Norse: selr
- Icelandic: selur
- Faroese: selur
- Norwegian: sel
- Old Swedish: siæl, sæl
  - Swedish: säl
- Danish: sæl
- Gutnish: själ