Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hrātu

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

Unknown; possibly from Proto-Germanic *hrētō, from a metathesized form of Proto-Indo-European *ker-d- (“to twist, weave”), suffixed form of *(s)ker- (“to turn, bend”). Cognate with Albanian krodhë (“beehive”). Compare also Proto-Germanic *hrōtą (“roof”) and Proto-Slavic *korda (“pile of logs”).[1]

Noun

*hrātu f

  1. honeycomb

Reconstruction notes

The initial *h- is not attested in any Germanic descendant, however can be reconstructed from the Latin loanword frata, which substituted f- for this sound, as the velar fricative was foreign to Latin.

Inflection

ō-stem
Singular
Nominative *hrātu
Genitive *hrātā
Singular Plural
Nominative *hrātu *hrātō
Accusative *hrātā *hrātā
Genitive *hrātā *hrātō
Dative *hrātē *hrātōm, *hrātum
Instrumental *hrātu *hrātōm, *hrātum

Descendants

  • Old Dutch: rāta
    • Middle Dutch: râte
  • Old High German: rāza
  • → Vulgar Latin: *hrata
    • Old French: ree, raie (dated abt. 1130)
      • Middle French: rayon, royon (“shelf, compartment, honeycomb”)
    • Late Latin: frata (dated 8th-century)

References

  1. ^ Vladimir Orel (2003) “*xrētō”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 187
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