Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/snawwaz

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

*snawwuz

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ksnow-ó-s, from *ksnew- (“to scrape, sharpen”). The original sense was "shaved" > "bald", whence the other senses via figurative extension of "sharp, quick".^[1]

Other theories derive the word from *snewaną (“to rush, hurry”) or its root, Proto-Indo-European *snewH- (“to be fleet”),^[2] based on the assumption of "quick" as the original sense, with de Vries explicitly preferring this latter derivation over the *ksnew- theory.^[3]^[4]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsnɑw.wɑz/

Adjective

*snawwaz^[1]

bald
quick, sudden

Inflection

Declension of *snawwaz (a-stem)
Strong declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*snawwaz	*snawwō	*snawwą, -atō	*snawwai	*snawwôz	*snawwō
accusative	*snawwanǭ	*snawwǭ	*snawwą, -atō	*snawwanz	*snawwōz	*snawwō
genitive	*snawwas, -is	*snawwaizōz	*snawwas, -is	*snawwaizǫ̂	*snawwaizǫ̂	*snawwaizǫ̂
dative	*snawwammai	*snawwaizōi	*snawwammai	*snawwaimaz	*snawwaimaz	*snawwaimaz
instrumental	*snawwanō	*snawwaizō	*snawwanō	*snawwaimiz	*snawwaimiz	*snawwaimiz

Weak declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*snawwô	*snawwǭ	*snawwô	*snawwaniz	*snawwōniz	*snawwōnō
accusative	*snawwanų	*snawwōnų	*snawwô	*snawwanunz	*snawwōnunz	*snawwōnō
genitive	*snawwiniz	*snawwōniz	*snawwiniz	*snawwanǫ̂	*snawwōnǫ̂	*snawwanǫ̂
dative	*snawwini	*snawwōni	*snawwini	*snawwammaz	*snawwōmaz	*snawwammaz
instrumental	*snawwinē	*snawwōnē	*snawwinē	*snawwammiz	*snawwōmiz	*snawwammiz

Related terms

*snauþuz
*sneuþaną
*snuþjaną

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *snauw
- Old Saxon: *snau
  - Middle Low German: snouw, snaw
Old Norse: snøggr
- Icelandic: snöggur
- Faroese: snøggur
- Norwegian Nynorsk: snøgg; (dialectal) snogg, snegg
- Norwegian Bokmål: snøgg
- Swedish: snögg, snygg
- → English: snug

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*snawwa-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 461
^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “snēu-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 977
^ Vladimir Orel (2003) “*snawwaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[2], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 357
^ de Vries, Jan (1977) “snøggr 2”, in Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Old Norse Etymological Dictionary]‎^[3] (in German), 2nd revised edition, Leiden: Brill, page 527

[EDPG-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*snawwa-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 461

[2] Pokorny, Julius (1959) “snēu-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 977

[3] Vladimir Orel (2003) “*snawwaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[2], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 357

[4] Vries, Jan (1977) “snøggr 2”, in Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Old Norse Etymological Dictionary]‎^[3] (in German), 2nd revised edition, Leiden: Brill, page 527

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