Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/uɸostos

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

Alternative reconstructions

• *wastos

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Indo-European *upo-sth₂-ó-s (“standing beneath”), from *upó (“under”) +‎ *steh₂- (“to stand”) +‎ *-ós (“agent suffix”). Matasović, however, is confused at how the -o- in *uɸo- became -a- in Gaulish and Brythonic. However, Schrijver believes that in Brythonic, sequences of *wo regularly split into *wa and *wo depending on whether the *w was lenited; in this case, the vowel in the Brythonic descendants would be generalized from the lenited form. The Gaulish conversion of *wo to ua is regular.

Noun

*uɸostos m

1. servant

Declension

Masculine o-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*uɸostos	*uɸostou	*uɸostoi
vocative	*uɸoste	*uɸostou	*uɸostoi
accusative	*uɸostom	*uɸostou	*uɸostoms
genitive	*uɸostī	*uɸostous	*uɸostom
dative	*uɸostūi	*uɸostobom	*uɸostobos
locative	*uɸostei	*?	*?
instrumental	*uɸostū	*uɸostobim	*uɸostūis

Descendants

• Proto-Brythonic: *gwass
  • Middle Breton: uuas, guas
    • Breton: gwaz
  • Cumbric: gos
  • Old Cornish: guas
    • Cornish: gwas
  • Old Welsh: guas
    • Middle Welsh: gwas
      • Welsh: gwas
• Old Irish: foss
  • Scottish Gaelic: fasdadh
• Gaulish: *uassos
  • → Latin: Vassa (cognomen of a Brescian)
  • → Late Latin: vassus
    • ⇒ Medieval Latin: vassallus (see there for further descendants)