Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bedō

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

Disputed: most likely from either Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰedʰ- (“to ask for, beseech”) or *bʰedʰ- (“to bend, bow”), the former depending on the outcome of Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰ in Germanic, which otherwise was *w; see *banô and *berô for other proposed examples of *gʷʰ- > *b-. Kroonen, though doubtful of this sound change, admits *gʷʰedʰ- is a better semantic match. For *bʰedʰ-, compare however Sanskrit ज्ञुबाध (jñu-bā́dha, “bending the knee, kneeling (in reverence)”), which would then have parallels in Old English cnēow-ġebed and Old Saxon kneo-beda (“prayer (on one's knees)”), all literally “knee-bend”.^[1]^[2]^[3]

In any case, the Germanic nouns probably point to a lost strong verb *bedaną.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbe.ðɔː/

Noun

*bedō f ^[4]

a request; a prayer; plea
Synonym: *bedą n

Inflection

ō-stemDeclension of *bedō (ō-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*bedō	*bedôz
vocative	*bedō	*bedôz
accusative	*bedǭ	*bedōz
genitive	*bedōz	*bedǫ̂
dative	*bedōi	*bedōmaz
instrumental	*bedō	*bedōmiz

Related terms

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *bedu
- Old English: bedu, beodo
  - Middle English: bede, bed, beed, beode, bode, boede, ȝebed, ibæd, ibed (conflated with Old English ġebed)
    - English: bead (bede)
    - Scots: bead, bede, beid
- Old Frisian: bede
  - Saterland Frisian: Beed
  - West Frisian: bea
- Old Saxon: beda
  - Middle Low German: bēde
    - German Low German: Beed
    - → German: Bede
- Old Dutch: beda
  - Middle Dutch: bēde
    - Dutch: bede
      - Afrikaans: bede
- Old High German: beta
  - Middle High German: bëte, bët
    - German: Bete (obsolete), Bitte (altered after bitten)
Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰 (bida)

References

^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*bedjan-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 57
^ Calin, Didier (2017) “knee”, in Dictionary of Indo-European Poetic and Religious Themes (Linguistique; 3), Les Cent Chemins, →ISBN, page 134: “to bow/bend the knees (to pray)”
^ Schmitt, Rüdiger (1967) Dichtung und Dichtersprache in indogermanischer Zeit [Poetry and Poetic Language in Indo-European Times] (in German), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, →OCLC, § 405, page 199
^ Orel, Vladimir (2003) “*ƀiđō”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 45

[1] Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*bedjan-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 57

[2] Calin, Didier (2017) “knee”, in Dictionary of Indo-European Poetic and Religious Themes (Linguistique; 3), Les Cent Chemins, →ISBN, page 134: “to bow/bend the knees (to pray)”

[3] Schmitt, Rüdiger (1967) Dichtung und Dichtersprache in indogermanischer Zeit [Poetry and Poetic Language in Indo-European Times] (in German), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, →OCLC, § 405, page 199

[4] Orel, Vladimir (2003) “*ƀiđō”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 45

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