Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/daniz

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

Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂- (“run, flow”). Or possibly from the same root as den (i.e. "lowland").

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈdɑ.niz/

Noun

*daniz m

a Dane
a Scandinavian

Inflection

i-stemDeclension of *daniz (i-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*daniz	*danīz
vocative	*dani	*danīz
accusative	*danį	*daninz
genitive	*danīz	*danjǫ̂
dative	*danī	*danimaz
instrumental	*danī	*danimiz

Derived terms

*daniskaz
*Halbadaniz (“Half-Dane”)

Descendants

The first mention of the Danes by name is in the 6th century by Jordanes. It's not certain whether the Danes existed as a group long before that time, and so whether the name was used to refer to a tribe in Proto-Germanic. But in any case, historically the name does go back to this form.

Proto-West Germanic: *Danī pl
- Old English: Dene
  - Middle English: Dene, Dane
- Old Saxon: *Denī
  - Middle Low German: dēne, denne
    - Low German: Dään
- Old Dutch: *Denī
  - Middle Dutch: Dene
    - Dutch: Deen
      - Negerhollands: Deen
- Old High German: *Tenī
  - Middle High German: Tene
    - German: Däne
Old Norse: danir pl
- Icelandic: Dani
- Faroese: dani
- Norwegian Nynorsk: dane, dan
- Old Swedish: dan, dæn
  - Swedish: dan (plural daner)
- Danish: dan, dane
  - Norwegian Bokmål: dane
- → Middle English: Dane
  - English: Dane
- → Old Irish: danar
  - Irish: danar
- → Latin: Danī pl
→ Latin: Dānī pl (see there for further descendants)
→ Proto-Samic: *tāńčë (see there for further descendants)