Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/waþil

This Proto-West 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-West Germanic

Etymology

Uncertain; presumably from Proto-Germanic *waþilaz, perhaps from *waþaz +‎ *-ilaz (instrumental suffix), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂uh₁-tó-s (“blowing”), from *h₂weh₁- (“to blow (of wind)”) +‎ *-tós. Possibly cognate with Old Norse véli (“bird's tail”), Norwegian Nynorsk vele (“tail, bird's tail”), Latin vatillum (“winnowing shovel”), vannus (“winnowing basket”). Equivalent to *wāan (“to blow”) +‎ *-þ +‎ *-il.

Noun

*waþil m

1. whisk, brush, fan

Inflection

Masculine a-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*waþil
Genitive	*waþilas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*waþil	*waþilō, *waþilōs
Accusative	*waþil	*waþilā
Genitive	*waþilas	*waþilō
Dative	*waþilē	*waþilum
Instrumental	*waþilu	*waþilum

Descendants

• Old Frisian: wedel, widel (“frond, holy tassel, aspergillum”)
• Old Saxon: wethil (“whisk, brush”)
• Old High German: wadil, wadal, wedil (“whisk, fan”)
  • Middle High German: wadel, wedel
    • German: Wadel
• →? Latin: vatillum (“winnowing shovel”)