Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/skipą

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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[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Uncertain etymology.

One theory derives it from Proto-Indo-European *skēi-b-, *ski-b-. Compare Lithuanian skiẽbti (to rip up), Latvian škibît (to cut, lop). (Proto-Germanic *skapjaną has been considered related as well, but the phonetics pose difficulties.) The original meaning inherited from Proto-Indo-European was likely “hollowed tree”, and all daughter languages agree in the meaning “ship”, thus the specified meaning “ship” is assumed for Proto-Germanic, however the Old High German word also had the meaning “hollow object” and described various vessels and containers, so the Proto-Germanic word could also have been used in a more generic fashion. Moreover, one meaning does not have to exclude the other by rule. Compare the development of Old Norse skeið (sheath; spoon; ship), also from an extension of *skey-; cf. also unrelated Latin vās (hollow object), source of French vaisseau (vessel).

Kroonen instead claims that this word would rather be a loanword from Latin scyphus (drinking vessel).[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

*skipą n

  1. ship
    Synonyms: *baitaz, *keulaz
  2. (possibly) any hollow or concave manmade object
  3. (West Germanic) vessel, tub

Inflection[edit]

neuter a-stemDeclension of *skipą (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *skipą *skipō
vocative *skipą *skipō
accusative *skipą *skipō
genitive *skipas, *skipis *skipǫ̂
dative *skipai *skipamaz
instrumental *skipō *skipamiz

Related terms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*skipa-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 446