Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wisulǭ

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

A diminutive of a word *wisō- (“European polecat, Mustela putorius”). From the root Proto-Indo-European *weys- (“to ooze, stink”), compare *wisundz (“bison”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈwi.su.lɔ̃ː/

Noun

*wisulǭ f

weasel

Inflection

ōn-stemDeclension of *wisulǭ (ōn-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*wisulǭ	*wisulōniz
vocative	*wisulǭ	*wisulōniz
accusative	*wisulōnų	*wisulōnunz
genitive	*wisulōniz	*wisulōnǫ̂
dative	*wisulōni	*wisulōmaz
instrumental	*wisulōnē	*wisulōmiz

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *wisulā
- Old English: weosule, wesle, uuesulae, uuesole — early
  - Middle English: wesele, wassele, wasyll, whesille, weesylle, wesel, wesil, wesile, wezele
    - English: weasal
    - Middle Scots: quhasill, wasyll, wasyll
      - Scots: whaisel, whaizle, wheesel, weasel (associated with whaisle "to wheeze")
- Old Frisian: *wisele
  - Saterland Frisian: Wiezelke (possibly borrowed from German)
  - West Frisian: wezeling (possibly borrowed from Low German)
- Old Saxon: *wisula
  - Middle Low German: wēsel, wesele
    - Low German: Wessel, Wissel
    - Plautdietsch: Wäsel
- Old Dutch: *wisala
  - Middle Dutch: wēsel
    - Dutch: wezel
      - Afrikaans: wesel
    - Limburgish: wezel, wieëzel
- Old High German: wisula, wisala
  - Middle High German: wisele
    - German: Wiesel
    - Luxembourgish: Wisel
Old Norse: visla; hreysivisla
- Icelandic: hreysivisla
- Faroese: vesla
- Norwegian: vesel
- Old Swedish: visla
  - Swedish: vessla
- Old Danish: wæslæ
  - Danish: væsel
- Gutnish: vissle, visslå