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Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/swangaz

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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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Alternative reconstructions

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  • *swangwaz

Etymology

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Perhaps an adjectival formation related to *swinganą (to swing),[1] referring to the "curved or swung-in shape" and "easily swingable" nature of slender beings.

Adjective

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*swangaz

  1. thin, slender, slim
  2. wavering

Inflection

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Descendants

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  • Proto-West Germanic:
    • Old Saxon:
      • Middle Low German: swank (unstable, wavering)
    • Old High German:
      • Middle High German: swanc (unstable, wavering)
  • Old Norse: svangr

References

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  1. ^ Vladimir Orel (2003) “*swanʒwaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 391