Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/berô

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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]

Conventionally from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (grey, brown). Ringe, discrediting the existence of such a root, suggests instead *ǵʰwer- (wild animal). Blažek (2017) suggests *bʰerH- (to bore, to pierce), from which several IE terms for beehive are derived, e.g. Proto-Slavic *bъrtь (hive of wild bees).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

*berô m

  1. bear

Inflection[edit]

Originally an n-stem with the zero grade forms of the suffix, as in *arô and Latin carō.

consonant stemDeclension of *berô (consonant stem)
singular plural
nominative *berô *birniz
vocative *berô *birniz
accusative *bernų *bernunz
genitive *birniz *bernǫ̂
dative *birni *bernumaz
instrumental *bernē *bernumiz

Derived terms[edit]

  • *berǭ
    • Old Norse: bera
  • Proto-Germanic: *birnijǭ

Descendants[edit]