Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/līną

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

Likely from Proto-Indo-European *līno-.

Cognates include Latin līnum and all its derivatives.^[1]

Although Greek λίνον (línon), Latin linas, Russian лён (ljon) are sometimes listed as cognates, they actually derive from *lino- with a short /i/.

Considering also the existence of a Latin root with a short /i/ and a /t/ (linteum), reconstruction of a common PIE protoform is impossible, and no similarly sounding terms are attested outside of Europe.

If such roots were borrowed from one or several non-IE languages, locating the source is impossible because cultivation of linen was ubiquitous in the region since the Neolithic.^[2]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈliː.nɑ̃/

Noun

*līną n

flax
Synonyms: *flahsą, *hazwaz

Inflection

Declension of *līną (neuter a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*līną	*līnō
vocative	*līną	*līnō
accusative	*līną	*līnō
genitive	līnas, līnis	*līnǫ̂
dative	*līnai	*līnamaz
instrumental	*līnō	*līnamiz

Derived terms

*līnǭ

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *līn
- Old English: līn
  - Middle English: lin, line
    - English: line
    - Scots: line, lyne
- Old Frisian: līn
  - Saterland Frisian: Lien
  - West Frisian: lyn
- Old Saxon: līn
  - Middle Low German: lîn
    - German Low German: Lien
- Old Dutch: *līn
  - Middle Dutch: lijn
    - Dutch: lijn
- Old High German: līn
  - Middle High German: līn
    - German: Lein
    - Vilamovian: łȧjn
Proto-Norse: ᛚᛁᚾᚨ (lina)
- Old Norse: lín
  - Icelandic: lín
  - Faroese: lín
  - Norwegian: lin
  - Old Swedish: līn
    - Swedish: lin
  - Danish: lin → Danish: linned
Gothic: 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌽 (lein)
→ Proto-Finnic: *liina (see there for further descendants)
→ Proto-Samic: *lijnē
- Kildin Sami: лыййн (lyjjn)
- Northern Sami: liidni
- Southern Sami: lijnie

References

^ Vladimir Orel (2003) “*līnan”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 248
^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “līnum”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 344-5

[1] Vladimir Orel (2003) “*līnan”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 248

[2] De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “līnum”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 344-5

[1]

[2]