Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/serþaną

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

*serdaną

Etymology

Kroonen reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *sert- (“to hit (?); to rub against, move obliquely against”). Compare Hittite 𒊬𒋫𒄿 (šar-ta-i, “to wipe, rub”) and perhaps Welsh serth (“obscene”). Kloekhorst meanwhile argues for *serdʰH- based on Hittite.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈser.θɑ.nɑ̃/

Verb

*serþaną

to hit; to violate sexually (apparently linked with rape, homosexuality and bestiality)

Inflection

Conjugation of (strong class 3)
present tense	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
	active voice			passive voice
1st singular	*serþō	*serþaų	—	*serþai	?
2nd singular	*sirþizi	*serþaiz	*serþ	*serþazai	*serþaizau
3rd singular	*sirþidi	*serþai	*serþadau	*serþadai	*serþaidau
1st dual	*serþōz	*serþaiw	—	—	—
2nd dual	*serþadiz	*serþaidiz	*serþadiz	—	—
1st plural	*serþamaz	*serþaim	—	*serþandai	*serþaindau
2nd plural	*sirþid	*serþaid	*sirþid	*serþandai	*serþaindau
3rd plural	*serþandi	*serþain	*serþandau	*serþandai	*serþaindau

past tense	indicative	subjunctive
1st singular	*sarþ	*surdį̄
2nd singular	*sarst	*surdīz
3rd singular	*sarþ	*surdī
1st dual	*surdū	*surdīw
2nd dual	*surdudiz	*surdīdiz
1st plural	*surdum	*surdīm
2nd plural	*surdud	*surdīd
3rd plural	*surdun	*surdīn

	present	past
participles	*serþandz	*surdanaz

Related terms

*surtōną

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *serþan, *serdan
- Old English: seorþan
  - Middle English: serden
    - English: sard
    - Scots: sard
- Old Saxon: *serthan
  - Middle Low German: serden
- Old Dutch: *serthan
  - Middle Dutch: serden
    - Dutch: zeerden
- Old High German: sertan
  - Middle High German: serten
    - German: serten
Old Norse: serða
- Icelandic: serða
- Old Swedish: særþa

References

Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*serþan- ~ *serdan-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 433
Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008) “šarta-ⁱ / šart-”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 5), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 737–738