Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/werþaz

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

From Pre-Germanic *wértos, probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”) through a meaning of “exchange”, a development also seen in Celtic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwer.θɑz/

Adjective

*werþaz

1. worthy, valuable

Inflection

Declension of *werþaz (a-stem)

Strong declension
Case	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*werþaz	*werþai	*werþō	*werþôz	*werþą, -atō	*werþō
Accusative	*werþanǭ	*werþanz	*werþǭ	*werþōz	*werþą, -atō	*werþō
Genitive	*werþas, -is	*werþaizǫ̂	*werþaizōz	*werþaizǫ̂	*werþas, -is	*werþaizǫ̂
Dative	*werþammai	*werþaimaz	*werþaizōi	*werþaimaz	*werþammai	*werþaimaz
Instrumental	*werþanō	*werþaimiz	*werþaizō	*werþaimiz	*werþanō	*werþaimiz
Weak declension
Case	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*werþô	*werþaniz	*werþǭ	*werþōniz	*werþô	*werþōnō
Accusative	*werþanų	*werþanunz	*werþōnų	*werþōnunz	*werþô	*werþōnō
Genitive	*werþiniz	*werþanǫ̂	*werþōniz	*werþōnǫ̂	*werþiniz	*werþanǫ̂
Dative	*werþini	*werþammaz	*werþōni	*werþōmaz	*werþini	*werþammaz
Instrumental	*werþinē	*werþammiz	*werþōnē	*werþōmiz	*werþinē	*werþammiz

Derived terms

• *werþōną
• *wirþijaną

Related terms

• *werþą

Descendants

• Old English: weorþ
  • Middle English: worth
    • Scots: wirth
    • English: worth
• Old Frisian: werth, werd
• Old Saxon: werth
  • Middle Low German: wert
    • → Estonian: väärt
• Old Dutch:
  • Middle Dutch: wert, waert
    • Dutch: waard
• Old High German: werd
  • Middle High German: wert
    • Cimbrian: bèart
    • German: wert, Wert
      • → Polish: wart
      • → Ukrainian: вартий (vartyj)
    • Hunsrik: Weert
    • Luxembourgish: wäert
• Old Norse: verðr, verð
  • Faroese: verður
  • Icelandic: verður
  • Norwegian: verdt, verd
  • Danish: værd
  • Old Swedish: værþer
    • Swedish: värd
• Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (wairþs), 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸 (wairþ) (<*werþą)
• → Proto-Finnic: *vërta
  • Estonian: võrd
  • Finnish: verta (“match, equal”)

References

• Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
• Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 415