Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/sterbaną

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 *sterbʰ- (“to be stiff, become stiff”); cognate with Ancient Greek στέρφνιος (stérphnios, “hard, firm, tight”).

Another theory derives the verb from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terp- (“to lose force; lose sensibility, become numb; be dead, be motionless”), connecting Latin torpeō. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈster.βɑ.nɑ̃/

Verb

*sterbaną

1. to become stiff
2. to die, become lifeless

   Synonym: *dawjaną

Inflection

Conjugation of *sterbaną (strong class 3)

	active voice			passive voice
present tense	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
1st singular	*sterbō	*sterbaų	—	*sterbai	?
2nd singular	*stirbizi	*sterbaiz	*sterb	*sterbazai	*sterbaizau
3rd singular	*stirbidi	*sterbai	*sterbadau	*sterbadai	*sterbaidau
1st dual	*sterbōz	*sterbaiw	—	—	—
2nd dual	*sterbadiz	*sterbaidiz	*sterbadiz	—	—
1st plural	*sterbamaz	*sterbaim	—	*sterbandai	*sterbaindau
2nd plural	*stirbid	*sterbaid	*stirbid	*sterbandai	*sterbaindau
3rd plural	*sterbandi	*sterbain	*sterbandau	*sterbandai	*sterbaindau
past tense	indicative	subjunctive
1st singular	*starb	*sturbį̄
2nd singular	*starft	*sturbīz
3rd singular	*starb	*sturbī
1st dual	*sturbū	*sturbīw
2nd dual	*sturbudiz	*sturbīdiz
1st plural	*sturbum	*sturbīm
2nd plural	*sturbud	*sturbīd
3rd plural	*sturbun	*sturbīn
	present	past
participles	*sterbandz	*sturbanaz

Derived terms

• *starbijaną
• *starfą (“labor”) (North Germanic)
• *sterbô

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *sterban
  • Old English: steorfan
    • Middle English: sterven, sterve
      • English: starve
      • Scots: sterve
  • Old Frisian: sterva
    • Saterland Frisian: stíerve
    • West Frisian: stjerre
  • Old Saxon: stervan
    • Middle Low German: sterven, starven
      • Low German: staarven, starven
      • Plautdietsch: stoawen
  • Old Dutch: stervan
    • Middle Dutch: sterven
      • Dutch: sterven
        • Afrikaans: sterf, sterwe
      • Limburgish: stèrve
  • Old High German: sterban
    • Middle High German: sterben
      • Alemannic German: steerbe, sterbe
      • Bavarian: sterbn
      • German: sterben
      • Hunsrik: sterrve
      • Luxembourgish: stierwen
      • Yiddish: שטאַרבן (shtarbn)
• Old Norse: styrfinn, stirfinn (past participle adjective)
  • Icelandic: stirfinn
  • Faroese: stirvin