Glommish/Middle: Difference between revisions

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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="4" | '''''tag; tagā (-a)''<br> day m.
! colspan="4" | '''''dag; dagar ''<br> day m.
! colspan="4" | '''''wort; wort''<br> word n.
! colspan="4" | '''''wurd; wurda''<br> word  
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | '''Singular'''
! colspan="2" | '''Singular'''
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*The situation with long-stemmed dissyllabic nouns ending in '''-al''', '''-ar''' and '''-an''' is the same as for the corresponding masculines, e.g. nominative '''zwīfal''' "doubt", genitive '''zwīfles'''.
*The situation with long-stemmed dissyllabic nouns ending in '''-al''', '''-ar''' and '''-an''' is the same as for the corresponding masculines, e.g. nominative '''zwīfal''' "doubt", genitive '''zwīfles'''.
*Diminutives in '''-īn''' and '''-līn''', e.g. '''magatīn''' "little maid" (neuter!), '''fingarlīn''' "little finger", are declined the same except in the [[Upper German]] dialects.  In those dialects, final '''-n''' is dropped in the nominative and accusative, and furthermore in [[Alemannic German|Allemannic]] the nominative and accusative plural end in '''-iu'''.
*Diminutives in '''-īn''' and '''-līn''', e.g. '''magatīn''' "little maid" (neuter!), '''fingarlīn''' "little finger", are declined the same except in the [[Upper German]] dialects.  In those dialects, final '''-n''' is dropped in the nominative and accusative, and furthermore in [[Alemannic German|Allemannic]] the nominative and accusative plural end in '''-iu'''.
===The -ja declension===
===The -ja declension===
This declension was really just the '''-a''' declension with a '''j''' immediately preceding.  However, due to various sound laws, a new declension subcategory has arisen that does not exactly follow the form of the plain '''-a''' declension.  Similar developments occurred in Greek and the Slavic languages, among others.
This declension was really just the '''-a''' declension with a '''j''' immediately preceding.  However, due to various sound laws, a new declension subcategory has arisen that does not exactly follow the form of the plain '''-a''' declension.  Similar developments occurred in Greek and the Slavic languages, among others.

Revision as of 23:58, 6 October 2016

Strong vocalic declensions

Note: Declensions are named according to their form in Proto-Germanic. Often intervening sound changes render the once transparent stem endings opaque, and the name may no longer make much sense synchronically.

The -a declension

This declension has as counterparts the second declension (us/um) of Latin, and the omicron declension (os/on) of Greek. It contains masculine and neuter nouns.

dag; dagar
day m.
wurd; wurda
word
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative tag tagā (-a) –ā (–a) wort wort
Accusative tag tagā (-a) –ā (–a) wort wort
Genitive tages (-as) –es (–as) tago –o wortes (-as) –es (–as) worto –o
Dative tage (-a) –e (–a) tagum (-om, -un, -on) –um (–om, –un, –on) worte (-a) –e (–a) wortum (-om, -un, -on) –um (–om, –un, –on)
Instrumental tagu (-o) –u (–o) -- -- wortu (-o) –u (–o) -- --

Examples of masculine nouns declined like tag "day": bërg "mountain", wëg "way", geist "spirit", himil "heaven", tiufal "devil", kuning "king". Notes:

  • Dissyllabic nouns ending in -al, -ar and -an, with long stems, sometimes drop the -a- before an ending beginning with a vowel, e.g. masculine singular ackar "acre, field", genitive singular ackres. Note that in these cases, the -a- is an epenthetic vowel that was not originally present (compare Gothic akrs < Proto-Germanic *akraz), and so the "deletion" of this vowel is really the preservation of the original form.
  • Proper names in the -a declension take a pronominal accusative ending -an, e.g. nominative Petrus, accusative Petrusan; similarly truhtīn "God, Lord", accusative truhtīnan.

Examples of neuter nouns declined like wort: barn "child", sēr "pain", swërt "sword", honag "honey". Notes:

  • The situation with long-stemmed dissyllabic nouns ending in -al, -ar and -an is the same as for the corresponding masculines, e.g. nominative zwīfal "doubt", genitive zwīfles.
  • Diminutives in -īn and -līn, e.g. magatīn "little maid" (neuter!), fingarlīn "little finger", are declined the same except in the Upper German dialects. In those dialects, final -n is dropped in the nominative and accusative, and furthermore in Allemannic the nominative and accusative plural end in -iu.

The -ja declension

This declension was really just the -a declension with a j immediately preceding. However, due to various sound laws, a new declension subcategory has arisen that does not exactly follow the form of the plain -a declension. Similar developments occurred in Greek and the Slavic languages, among others.

This declension has as counterparts the second declension nouns in (-ius/-ium) of Latin. The counterparts in Greek are some second declension nouns in (-ios/-ion), as well as many that show effects of palatalization (e.g., -zdos < *-gyos or *-dyos; -llos < *-lyos; -ptos < -*pyos; -ssos or -ttos < -*tyos; -airos/-eiros/-oiros < *-aryos/-eryos/-oryos; -ainos/-einos/-oinos < *-anyos/enyos/onyos; etc., and similarly for neuter nouns in -ion or *-yon). It contains masculine and neuter nouns.

hirti; hirte / hirtā (-a)
herdsman m.
kunni; kunni
race n.
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Early Late Early Late Early Late Early Late
Nominative hirti –i hirti –i hirte –e hirtā (-a) –ā (–a) kunni -i kunni -i kunni -i kunni -i
Accusative hirti –i hirti –i hirte –e hirtā (-a) –ā (–a) kunni -i kunni -i kunni -i kunni -i
Genitive hirtes –es hirtes –es hirteo (-io) –eo (–io) hirto –o kunnes –es kunnes –es kunneo (-io) –eo (–io) kunno –o
Dative hirtie –ie hirte –e hirtum (-un, -on) –um (–un, –on) hirtim (-in) –im (–in) kunnie –ie kunne –e kunnum (-un, -on) –um (–un, –on) kunnim (-in) –im (–in)
Instrumental hirtiu –iu hirtu (-o) –u (–o) -- -- -- -- kunniu –iu kunnu (-o) –u (–o) -- -- -- --

Note that the transition from early to late forms occurred during the ninth century. Late-form ja-stems are conjugated identically to a-stems except for the added -i in the neuter nominative and accusative, and in the masculine nominative and accusative singular. Compare the equivalent nouns in Old English, e.g. rīce "kingdom" (neuter).

Sample nouns like hirti: agent nouns in -āri (-ari, -eri), e.g. wahtāri (-ari, -eri) "watchman", lērāri "teacher", scrībāri "writer, scribe"; also, karkāri "prison", altāri "altar", rucki "back", phuzzi, puzzi "well", kāsi "cheese".

Sample nouns like kunni: enti "end", rīchi "kingdom", betti "bed", gizungi "language", finstarnessi "darkness", heri "army" (genitive singular heries, dative singular herie, herige).

The -wa declension

snēo, snē; snēwā (-a)
snow m.
kneo; kneo
knee n.
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative snēo, snē –o, – snēwā (-a) –wā (–wa) kneo –o, – kneo –o, –
Accusative snēo, snē –o, – snēwā (-a) –wā (–wa) kneo –o, – kneo –o, –
Genitive snēwes –wes snēwo –wo knëwes –wes knëwo –wo
Dative snēwe –e snēwum (–un, –on) –um (–un, –on) knëwe –e knëwum (–un, –on) –um (–un, –on)

Notes:

  • -o in the nominative can be dropped following a long vowel.
  • When a consonant precedes the -w, an epenthetic vowel -a- (sometimes -o- or -e-) appears in the oblique cases, e.g. neuter trëso "treasure", genitive trësawes.

Among the other nouns in this declension:

  • Masculine lēo "grave", sēo "sea", scato (genitive scatawes) "shadow", (genitive būwes) "dwelling".
  • Neuter rēo "corpse", zëso (genitive zësawes) "right side", smëro (genitive smërawes) "grease".

The -ō declension

This declension counterparts the first declension (a) of Latin, and the alpha declension (a/as) of Greek. It contains feminine nouns. The nominative, which should have had the ending -u, has been merged with the accusative in -a.

gëba; gëbā
gift f.
Singular Plural
Nominative gëba –a gëbā –ā
Accusative gëba –a gëbā –ā
Genitive gëba (-u, -o) –a (–u, –o) gëbōnō –ōnō
Dative gëbu (-o) –u (–o) gëbōm (-ōn, -on) –ōm (–ōn, –on)

Sample nouns of this declension: gëba "gift", ërda "earth", ēra "honor", zala "number", triuwa "fidelity", corunga "temptation", hertida "hardness", miltida "compassion", gi-nāda "favor", lōsunga "deliverance", stunta "time".

The -jō declension

sunta; sunte, -eā (-iā) / suntā
sin f.
kuningin; kuninginnā
queen f.
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Early #1 Early #2 Late Early #1 Early #2 Late
Nominative sunte –e suntea (-ia) –ea (–ia) sunta –a sunte –e suntea (-ia) –ea (–ia) suntā –ā kuningin –in kuninginnā –innā
Accusative sunte –e suntea (-ia) –ea (–ia) sunta –a sunte –e suntea (-ia) –ea (–ia) suntā –ā kuninginna (-in) –inna (–in) kuninginnā –innā
Genitive sunte –e suntea (-ia) –ea (–ia) sunta (-u, -o) –a (–u, –o) sunteōno –eōno sunteōno –eōno suntōno –ōno kuninginna –inna kuninginnōno –innōno
Dative suntiu –iu suntiu –iu suntu (-o) –u (–o) sunteōm –eōm sunteōm –eōm suntōm (-ōn) –ōm (–ōn) kuninginnu –innu kuninginnōm (-ōn) –innōm (–innōn)

Sample nouns like sunta: hella "hell", sibba, sippa "peace", minna "love", krippa "manger".

Sample nouns like kuningin: forasagin "prophetess", friuntin "friend", burdin "burden".

The -i declension

This declension counterparts the vowel stems of the third declension (is) of Latin, and the third declension of Greek. It contains masculine and feminine nouns. Note that masculine nouns have become identical to -a stem nouns in the singular, while feminine nouns have preserved the original declension.

gast; gesti
guest m.
anst; ensti
favor f.
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Early Late Early Late Early Late Early Late
Nominative gast gast gesti –i gesti –i anst ansti ensti –i ensti –i
Accusative gast gast gesti –i gesti –i anst ansti ensti –i ensti –i
Genitive gastes –es gastes –es gesteo (-io) –eo (–io) gesto –o ensti –i ensti –i ensteo (-io) –eo (–io) ensto –o
Dative gaste –e gaste –e gestim (-in) –im (–in) gesten –en ansti –i ansti –i enstim (-in) –im (–in) ensten –en
Instrumental gastiu (gestiu) –iu gastu –u -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

The -u declension

This declension was much reduced compared to other old Germanic languages such as Old English. Most nouns were transferred outright to the i- or sometimes the a-declension, and the remaining nouns were heavily influenced by the i-declension—only the nominative and accusative singular are different, ending in -u.

situ; siti
custom m.
fihu
cattle n.
Singular Plural Singular
Early Late Early Late
Nominative situ –u situ –u siti –i siti –i fihu –u
Accusative situ –u situ –u siti –i siti –i fihu –u
Genitive sites –es sites –es siteo (-io) –eo (–io) sito –o fihes –es
Dative site –e site –e sitim (-in) –im (–in) siten –en fihe –e
Instrumental sitiu (sitiu) –iu situ –u -- -- -- -- -- --

Notes:

  • Five masculine nouns follow this declension: situ "custom", fridu "peace", hugu "understanding", sigu "victory", and sunu "son" (also sun).
  • Only a single neuter noun, fihu "cattle", follows the declension, and exists only in the singular.
  • The only trace of a feminine u-declension is in the word hant "hand", declined as a feminine i-stem except in the dative plural, where the old u-declension forms hantum, -un, -on persist.

The -ī declension

This class consists of feminine abstract nouns and came about through the falling together of two declensions that were still different in Gothic: compare the Gothic -ei stems (a subclass of the weak declension, formed from adjectives, e.g. diupei "depth", genitive diupeins, from diups "deep") and -eins stems (a subclass of the i-declension, formed from Class I weak verbs, e.g. dáupeins "a dipping", genitive dáupeináis, from dáupjan "to dip").

hōhī (hōhīn); hōhī (hōhīn)
height f.
Singular Plural
Nominative hōhī (hōhīn) –ī (–īn) hōhī (hōhīn) –ī (–īn)
Accusative hōhī (hōhīn) –ī (–īn) hōhī (hōhīn) –ī (–īn)
Genitive hōhī (hōhīn) –ī (–īn) hōhīno –īno
Dative hōhī (hōhīn) –ī (–īn) hōhīm (hōhīn) –īm (–īn)

Examples of other members of this class: scōnī "beauty", suoẓẓī "sweetness", snëllī "quickness", tiufī "depth", menigī, managī "multitude", irstantanī "resurrection", toufī "a dipping", welī "choice", leitī "a leading", riudī "mange".