*abniją

Runic: ᚨᛒᚾᛁᛃᚨ Pronunciation: /ˈɑβ.ni.jɑ̃/

noun · neuter · ja-stem

Meanings

material, substance, stuff; the matter or means out of which something is made or by which something is carried out

Etymology

From pre-Germanic *h₃ep-n-yo-m, a neuter *-yo- derivative (forms neuter collective nouns from nouns) of the n-stem/oblique member of the Proto-Indo-European heteroclitic *h₃óp-r̥ ~ *h₃ép-n- or similar n-stem formation. The original sense was probably ‘that which pertains to property/resources’ > ‘resources, means’ > ‘stuff, material’. This also makes *abnijaną a secondary denominative from *abniją, rather than the source of the noun (Johnsen 2005b: 258 n. 38; Orel 2003: 1). Compare Vedic Sanskrit अप्नस् (ápnas-), Hittite 𒄩𒀊𒁉𒈾 (ḫa-ap-pí-na- /ḫappina-/), and Latin opulentus, all belonging to the same PIE *h₃ep-/*h₃op- complex (Kloekhorst 2008: 295–97; Johnsen 2005b: 258; Watkins 2011: s.v. op-). Within Proto-Germanic, it is probably related to *abô and *abraz, respectively from animate n-stem and r-member derivatives of the same heteroclitic base (Johnsen 2005b: 258–60).

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nom.abnijąabnijō
Acc.abnijąabnijō
Gen.abnijas, abnīsabnijǫ̂
Dat.abnijaiabnijamaz
Inst.abnijōabnijamiz
Voc.abnijąabnijō

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Descendants

  • *abnī (Proto-West Germanic)
    • *efne (Old English)
      • andefne (Old English)
  • efni (Old Norse)
    • evni (Faroese)
    • ämne (Gutnish)
    • efni (Icelandic)
    • even (Norn)
  • efni (Old Norse)
    • evne (Danish)
      • evne (Norwegian Bokmål)
      • evne (Norwegian Nynorsk)
  • efni (Old Norse)
    • efne, efene, evene, even (Middle English)
      • evyne, evyn, evin (Scots)
  • efni (Old Norse)
    • emne, evne, ebne (Norwegian)
      • emne (Danish)
        • emne (Norwegian Bokmål)
  • efni (Old Norse)
    • æfni (Old Swedish)
      • ämne (Swedish)
  • *ainëh (Proto-Finnic)
    • aine (Finnish)
    • aineh (Karelian)

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