Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/fergunją
Proto-Germanic
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *pérwn̥-yo-m, from *pérwr̥ (“rock, mountain”), or from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“oak tree”). The former possibility would have an unexplained irregular development of w > g in Germanic, while the latter matches in form but poses difficulties in the meaning.
The existence in Old Norse of a masculine noun Fjǫrgynn (“Frigg's father”) — ostensibly from Proto-Germanic *Fergunjaz (“masculine divine personification of mountainland”) — alongside the feminine noun Fjǫrgyn (“Thor's mother; earth, land, mountain”) — from Proto-Germanic *Fergunjō (“feminine divine personification of mountainland”) — and the neuter, whose original meaning in Proto-Germanic can be reconstructed as “(forested) mountain(land)”, suggests that the underlying term was a Proto-Germanic adjective *fergunjaz, probably cognate with Proto-Celtic *Φerkunyos (“Hercynian Forest”), presumably originally an appellative meaning “forested (mountain)land”.
The Celtic word could have been also originally an adjective. Compare the Gallo-Latin adjective found in Hercynia silva alongside Hercynius saltus, which in both cases can be reconstructed as meaning “forested”. The suggested derivation from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- fits this well and suggests an original meaning “covered in oaks” for Proto-Indo-European *perk(ʷ)unyos, rather than a noun meaning “forest”.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɸer.ɣun.jɑ̃/
Noun
*fergunją n
Inflection
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | *fergunją | *fergunjō |
| vocative | *fergunją | *fergunjō |
| accusative | *fergunją | *fergunjō |
| genitive | *fergunjas, *fergunis | *fergunjǫ̂ |
| dative | *fergunjai | *fergunjamaz |
| instrumental | *fergunjō | *fergunjamiz |