Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/dani

This Proto-West 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-West Germanic

Etymology

Uncertain; presumably from Proto-Germanic *danją, possibly cognate with Sanskrit धन्वन् (dhánvan, “desert, dry land, beach”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰén-w-ō (“flat surface”). Perhaps also related to Proto-Indo-European *dʰénwr̥ (“arc; palm”) (whence Old High German tenar (“flat hand, palm”)); however, this is disputed.

Noun

*dani n

1. flat area, floor; smooth surface
2. pasture for animals, morass; wallowing-hole, slitch
3. small dale

Inflection

Neuter ja-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*danj(a)
Genitive	*dannjas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*danj(a)	*dannju
Accusative	*danj(a)	*dannju
Genitive	*dannjas	*dannjō
Dative	*dannjē	*dannjum
Instrumental	*dannju	*dannjum

Derived terms

• *dannjōn (possibly)
  • Old English: dennian (“to become slick or slippery”)

Descendants

• Old English: denn n; denu f
  • Middle English: den; dene
    • English: den; dean
    • Scots: den; dene, deyn
• Old Frisian: dann
  • Saterland Frisian: Dan
• ⇒ Old Frisian: dene (“down”, adverb)
• Old Saxon: *danni, denni; dennia f
  • Middle Low German: danne, denne, dan
    • Low German: Denn
• Old Dutch: *denni
  • Middle Dutch: denne, den; dan m
    • Dutch: denne, den; dan
• Old High German: tenni n
  • Middle High German: tenne m or n or f; tan m
    • Alemannic German: Tenn
    • German: Tenne f; Tan m (“floor, threshing-floor”)
• → Medieval Latin: danea