Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ermunaz

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

Alternative forms

*irminaz
*ermanaz^[1]

Etymology

Unknown. Compare Ancient Greek ὄρμενος (órmenos, “rushing forward, shoot”), itself from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“to move, stir, spring”).^[2]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈer.mu.nɑz/

Adjective

*ermunaz

strong, whole

Inflection

Declension of *ermunaz (a-stem)
Strong declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*ermunaz	*ermunō	*ermuną, -atō	*ermunai	*ermunôz	*ermunō
accusative	*ermunanǭ	*ermunǭ	*ermuną, -atō	*ermunanz	*ermunōz	*ermunō
genitive	*ermunas, -is	*ermunaizōz	*ermunas, -is	*ermunaizǫ̂	*ermunaizǫ̂	*ermunaizǫ̂
dative	*ermunammai	*ermunaizōi	*ermunammai	*ermunaimaz	*ermunaimaz	*ermunaimaz
instrumental	*ermunanō	*ermunaizō	*ermunanō	*ermunaimiz	*ermunaimiz	*ermunaimiz

Weak declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*ermunô	*ermunǭ	*ermunô	*ermunaniz	*ermunōniz	*ermunōnō
accusative	*ermunanų	*ermunōnų	*ermunô	*ermunanunz	*ermunōnunz	*ermunōnō
genitive	*ermuniniz	*ermunōniz	*ermuniniz	*ermunanǫ̂	*ermunōnǫ̂	*ermunanǫ̂
dative	*ermunini	*ermunōni	*ermunini	*ermunammaz	*ermunōmaz	*ermunammaz
instrumental	*ermuninē	*ermunōnē	*ermuninē	*ermunammiz	*ermunōmiz	*ermunammiz

Derived terms

*ermun-
*irmin-
*Ermunaz

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *ermun, *ermun-, *irmin-
- Old English: eormen-, eorman-, iurmin-, iurmen-, irmin-, yrmen-
  - Middle English: ȝeorma-leaf, yeormen-leaf
    - English: Ermintrude, Irma/Emma (only in some names)
- Old Saxon: irmin-
- Old High German: irmin-, erman-^[1]
  - >? East Central German: Emmis (Erzgebirgisch)
Old Norse: Jǫrmunr, jǫrmun-
- Icelandic: jörmun-

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Dahl, Ivar (1938) Substantival Inflexion in Early Old English: Vocalic Stems, pages 26-27: “There appear to have existed doublets in PrGc: *ermin- (: OE irmin-) and *erman- (:OG erman-, and perhaps also: OE eormen-); see Schönfeld 77, Hellquist sub Emma.”
^ Tocharian and Indo-European Studies. (1988). Iceland: Tocharian and Indo-European Studies, p. 70

Campbell, Alistair (1959) Old English grammar, Oxford University Press, page 59: “I exclude from this list the name-element Irmin- BH (all early manuscripts), Ct. 4, as these texts sometimes omit the second element of short diphthongs (see § 140); LV and Gn. have Iurmin- Iurmen-, with breaking, the only clear exception to the rule.”
Fulk, R.D. (1992) A History of Old English Meter, University of Pennsylvania Press, page 291:
Kentish eo for io (eWS ie) as i-mutation of io before covered r [...] This feature is largely confined to Kentish because in the Anglian dialects, i in the position for i-mutation before r usually failed to be affected by breaking (Luick, §139.2; Campbell, §154.3 and nn. 3-4; Brunner, §83 n.), and of course in West Saxon io was mutated to ie. [...] Yet eorre and eormen- may also be Anglian: see Campbell, §154.3 and n. 3. [...] Eormen- appears in Beowulf, Solomon and Saturn II, and the Fortunes of Men, beside yrmen- in Beowulf, Juliana, Christ II, and the Menologium.
Hogg, Richard (2011) A Grammar of Old English, Volume I: Phonology, Wiley-Blackwell, pages 87, 88: “the proper name element LVD, KSB 12 † Iurmin-, Iurmen. [...] Compare Bede † Irmin and the Kt Ch 8 Irmin, texts where breaking diphthongs are often omitted.”

[Dahl1938-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Dahl, Ivar (1938) Substantival Inflexion in Early Old English: Vocalic Stems, pages 26-27: “There appear to have existed doublets in PrGc: *ermin- (: OE irmin-) and *erman- (:OG erman-, and perhaps also: OE eormen-); see Schönfeld 77, Hellquist sub Emma.”

[2] Tocharian and Indo-European Studies. (1988). Iceland: Tocharian and Indo-European Studies, p. 70

[1]

[2]