Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/loɸernos

This Proto-Celtic 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-Celtic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂(w)lop-erno- (“(red) fox”). Cognate with Proto-Italic *wolpis, Ancient Greek ἀλώπηξ (alṓpēx), Proto-Balto-Slavic *lapijāˀ, Albanian dhelpër, Old Armenian աղուէս (ałuēs), and Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hrawpāćás and Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hláwpiš.

Cognates in other IE languages differ too wildly to reconstruct a PIE prototype noun, so this may be a Wanderwort.

Noun

*loɸernos m

1. fox

Declension

Masculine o-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*loɸernos	*loɸernou	*loɸernoi
vocative	*loɸerne	*loɸernou	*loɸernoi
accusative	*loɸernom	*loɸernou	*loɸernons
genitive	*loɸernī	*loɸernous	*loɸernom
dative	*loɸernūi	*loɸernobom	*loɸernobos
locative	*loɸernei	*?	*?
instrumental	*loɸernū	*loɸernobim	*loɸernūis

Alternative reconstructions

• *loɸersnos (if compounded with *(h₁e)rs-n-o- "male")

Descendants

• Proto-Brythonic: *llowern (“fox”)
  • Old Breton: louuern
    • Middle Breton: louarn
      • Breton: louarn (“fox”), lowern, luhern
  • Old Cornish: louuern (“vulpes”)
    • Cornish: lowarn (“fox”)
  • Old Welsh: louern
    • Middle Welsh: llewyrn (“foxes”)
      • Welsh: llwyrn (“will o' the wisp”)
• Old Irish: loarn
• Gaulish: *louernos