The Words for “Fire” in Germanic

Bibliographic Data

ID22993870
AuthorsDouglas P A Simms (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, corresponding author)
Year2009
Volume21
Issue3
Pages297-333
Publication date2009-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Germanic Linguistics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1470-5427 • E-ISSN: 1475-3014
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s147054270999002x
OpenAlexW2144450567
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited25

This article puts forth a comprehensive set of etymologies for “fire” words in the Germanic languages that descend from Proto-Indo-Euro-pean (PIE) + péh 2 - . I propose that all relevant cognates are derived from the PIE holokinetic inflection, that is, + ph 2 - ō r (nominative-accusative) ~ + ph 2 -un- (oblique), and that all variants in the Germanic languages arose as a result of analogical changes in the Proto-Germanic and later periods. Furthermore, these etymologies cast doubt on reconstructions that require the positing of + ū in Proto-Germanic or Proto-Indo-European. In addition to providing cause to review existing reconstructions, this article also provides a closer philological view of the evidence of cognates in Germanic.

Art · German · Germanic languages · Inflection · Linguistics · Literature · Nominative case · North Germanic languages · Oblique case · Philology · Sociology · Verb · History · Lexicography and Language Studies · Linguistics and Cultural Studies · Linguistics and language evolution · Philosophy

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