Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kangura-

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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

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Etymology

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Uncertain; possibly related to English kink (curl, turn, twist), Icelandic kengur (hook), and if the word is of Indo-European origin, it may be further related to Old Church Slavonic гѫжвица (gǫžvica, wicker) and Czech houžev (withy), all from Proto-Indo-European *gengʰ- (twist, turn, plait, weave)[1]. Finnish kankuri (weaver) is probably borrowed from Germanic[2] together with Finnish kangas (web); alternatively, the present word could be borrowed from Finnish[3].

Pronunciation

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Noun

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*kangura- ?[2]

  1. The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
    1. net, plait, web
    2. weaver, spider

Reconstruction notes

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According to Íslensk orðsifjabók, the word's original meaning may have been "net, plait, something woven", hence the sense of Old Norse kǫngurváfa (spider) would be “web-weaveress”; but Finnish kankuri, clearly the same etymon, means “weaver”, which is close to the sense of German Kanker (spider < he who weaves). However, Kanker is also attested as Ganker and a relation to Proto-Germanic *gangjaną (go) is also possible[1], in which case Kanker would be unrelated to the English and North Germanic descendants listed below; that is, if Kanker was not remade in a way similar to that of the first element of Old English gangewifre and gangelwæfre, which are usually seen as being of the same origin as kǫngurváfa[1][2]

Inflection

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masculine a-stemDeclension of *kanguraz (masculine a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *kanguraz *kangurōz, *kangurōs
vocative *kangur *kangurōz, *kangurōs
accusative *kangurą *kanguranz
genitive *kanguras, *kanguris *kangurǫ̂
dative *kangurai *kanguramaz
instrumental *kangurō *kanguramiz

or

neuter a-stemDeclension of *kangurą (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *kangurą *kangurō
vocative *kangurą *kangurō
accusative *kangurą *kangurō
genitive *kanguras, *kanguris *kangurǫ̂
dative *kangurai *kanguramaz
instrumental *kangurō *kanguramiz

Descendants

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  • Old English: *gangel, *gange
  • >? Middle High German: kanker m (spider)
    • German: Kanker (harvestman)
  • Old Norse: *kǫngur-

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kanker” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 “köngurváfa” in: Ásgeir Blöndal MagnússonÍslensk orðsifjabók, (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans. (Available on Málið.is under the “Eldra mál” tab.)
  3. ^ kangro in Johan Ernst Rietz, Svenskt dialektlexikon (1862–1867)