Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/faimô

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

Uncertain; suggested to be from Proto-Indo-European *póyH-mn̥ or *péHi-mn̥ (“suckling”), from Proto-Indo-European *peyH- (“milk; fat”)^[1] (whence Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬉𐬨𐬀𐬥 (paēman, “mother's milk”), Proto-Germanic *faitaz (“fat”)), compare semantics of Proto-Slavic *děva (“maiden, virgin”), Latin fēmina (“woman”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- (“to suckle milk”). Alternatively, cognate with Ancient Greek ποιμήν (poimḗn, “shepherd, herdsman”) (according to this view, the meaning was 'shepherd', whereas the derived term *faimnijǭ meant 'female shepherd' and eventually simply 'girl').^[2]

Noun

*faimô n

maiden, girl
Synonyms: *magaþs, *mawilǭ

Inflection

Declension of *faimô (neuter an-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*faimô	*faimōnō
vocative	*faimô	*faimōnō
accusative	*faimô	*faimōnō
genitive	*faiminiz	*faimanǫ̂
dative	*faimini	*faimammaz
instrumental	*faiminē	*faimammiz

Alternative reconstructions

*faimǭ^[2]

Derived terms

References

^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “pei̯(ə)-, pī˘-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 793
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Vladimir Orel (2003) “*faimnjō”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 90

[1] Pokorny, Julius (1959) “pei̯(ə)-, pī˘-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 793

[HGE-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Vladimir Orel (2003) “*faimnjō”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 90

[1]

[2]