Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/Dōnawjaz

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

Etymology

Borrowed from Proto-Celtic *Dānowyos, an extended form of the river-name *Dānu, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₂nu (“river goddess”), akin to *dʰenh₂- (“to set in motion; to flow”). The Celtic name is also the source of Latin Dānuvius, Dānubius and Ancient Greek Δανούιος (Danoúios) and Δανούβιος (Danoúbios). *Dōnawjaz was reinterpreted as a feminine jō-stem in West Germanic (Schumacher 2007: 181).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɔː.ˌnɑu̯.jɑz/

Proper noun

*Dōnawjaz m

1. the river Danube

Inflection

masculine ja-stemDeclension of *Dōnawjaz (masculine ja-stem)
	singular
nominative	*Dōnawjaz
vocative	*Dōnawi
accusative	*Dōnawją
genitive	*Dōnawjas, *Dōnawis
dative	*Dōnawjai
instrumental	*Dōnawjō

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic:
  • Old English: Dōnua (hapax att. c. 890, possibly actually from Old Cornish or Old Saxon)
    • → Old Norse: Dónua (?)
  • Old High German: Tuonouwa, Duonowa, Tuonouwe
    • Middle High German: Tuonouwe, Tuonowe
      • ⇒ Middle High German: Tuonawe (perhaps under Slavic influence)
        • Middle High German: Tunaw
        • ⇒ German: Tonaw (perhaps under Low German influence)
          • German: Tonau
          • ⇒ German: Donaw (under Low German influence)
            • German: Donau, Dunau, Tonau, Dhonau, Thonau, Donaw, Dunaw, Dhonaw, Tonaw, Tunaw, Thonaw, Thunaw
              • → Chinese: 多瑙 (Duōnǎo)
              • → Danish: Donau
              • → Dutch: Donau
              • → Icelandic: Dóná
              • → Japanese: ドナウ (Donau)
              • → Low German: Donau
              • → Norwegian Bokmål: Donau
              • → Norwegian Nynorsk: Donau
              • → Swedish: Donau
  • Old Saxon:
    • Middle Low German: Dônouw, Dônouwe, Dunouw, Dunouwe
  • Old Dutch:
    • Middle Dutch: Denouwe
• Gothic: *𐌳𐍉𐌽𐌰𐍅𐌹 (*dōnawi)
  • → Ancient Greek: Δούναβις (Doúnabis)
    • > Greek: Δούναβης (Doúnavis) (inherited)
  • → Proto-Slavic: *Dunavь (see there for further descendants)

References

• Stefan Schumacher (2007), ‘Die Deutschen und die Nachbarstämme: Lexikalische und strukturelle Sprachkontaktphänomene entlang der keltisch-germanischen Übergangszone’ ([1]), Keltische Forschungen 2, pp. 181-182, Praesens Verlag, Vienna.
• David Stifter (2009), ‘The Proto-Germanic shift *ā>*ō and early Germanic linguistic contacts’ (pdf), Historische Sprachforschung / Historical Linguistics, Bd. 122, p. 277.
• Koch, John (2004) “*Dānu, *Dānowyos”, in English–Proto-Celtic Word-list with attested comparanda‎^[2], University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies, page 283