Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/blīu

This Proto-West 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-West Germanic

Etymology

Uncertain; presumably from Proto-Germanic *blīwą, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlih₁-wó-s, from *bʰl-eh₁y-, extended from *bʰel- (“to shine”), related to *blēwaz (“blue”), cognate with Latin flāvus (“yellow, golden”), Sanskrit भाल (bhāla, “splendour, lustre”),^[1] Lithuanian blaivýtis (“to become bright, clear up”).^[2]

Noun

*blīu n

color, hue

Inflection

Neuter wa-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*blīu
Genitive	*blīwas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*blīu	*blīu
Accusative	*blīu	*blīu
Genitive	*blīwas	*blīwō
Dative	*blīwē	*blīum
Instrumental	*blīu	*blīum

Derived terms

*blīwafalþ (+ *falþan)
- → Old French: bliaut (see there for further descendants)

Descendants

Old English: blēo, bleoh, blīo, blioh
- Middle English: bleo, ble, blee
  - Scots: ble, blee, blie
  - English: blee, bly
Old Frisian: blī, blie
- North Frisian: bläy
- Saterland Frisian: Bläier
Old Saxon: blī
Old Dutch: *blīo
- Middle Dutch: blie, blye

References

^ Boutkan, Dirk, Siebinga, Sjoerd (2005) “bli ?”, in Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 1), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 53
^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*blīwa- 1”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 69