Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/marþuz

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

Unknown. The original meaning could have been "bride," which could be related to Latin mas (“male bride”), Lithuanian marti (“daughter-in-law”), and possibly Crimean Gothic marzu (“marriage”). For similar semantic development, compare Greek νυφίτσα (nyfítsa, “weasel”), from a diminutive of νύφη (nýfi, “bride”); Italian donnola (“weasel”), from a diminutive of donna (“woman”); and Spanish comadreja (“weasel”), from a deprecative diminutive of Spanish comadre (“mother of one's godchild”). Or, possibly of substrate origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑr.θuz/

Noun

*marþuz m

1. marten

Inflection

u-stemDeclension of *marþuz (u-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*marþuz	*marþiwiz
vocative	*marþu	*marþiwiz
accusative	*marþų	*marþunz
genitive	*marþauz	*marþiwǫ̂
dative	*marþiwi	*marþumaz
instrumental	*marþū	*marþumiz

Related terms

• *marþraz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *marþ
  • Old English: mearþ, mearth, mærþ, merþ
  • Old Frisian: *merth
    • West Frisian: murd
  • Old Saxon: *marth
    • Middle Low German: mārt, mārte
  • Old Dutch: *mard
    • Middle Dutch: mārt
  • Old High German: *mard
    • Middle High German: mard
  • → Medieval Latin: martes (see there for further descendants)
• Old Norse: mǫrðr
  • Icelandic: mörður
  • Faroese: mørður
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: mord, mår; (dialectal) mard (mał, mar)
  • Old Swedish: mārþer
    • Swedish: mård c
  • Danish: mår c
    • Norwegian Bokmål: mår