*airō
Runic: ᚨᛁᚱᛟ Pronunciation: /ˈɑi̯.rɔː/noun · feminine · ō-stem
Meanings
an oar; a long-handled implement used to propel or steer a boat
Etymology
Probably from pre-Germanic *h₂eyh₂-r-eh₂- or *h₂oyh₂-r-eh₂-, a substantivized feminine based on a deverbal adjective in *-ró-. The underlying Proto-Indo-European root was *h₂eyh₂- ~ *h₂yeh₂-, with Schwebeablaut; an oar was thus conceived as an instrument for pulling or setting a boat in motion (Höfler 2023: 93–94, 108–11). Related formations include Lithuanian íena, Slovene ojẹ̑ ~ ojẹ̑sa, Vedic Sanskrit अयते (áyate) and ईयते (ī́yate), and याति (yā́ti). Ancient Greek οἴαξ (oíax) and Vedic Sanskrit ईषा (īṣā́) belong to the same extended nominal family (Höfler 2023: 93–94, 108–18).
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | airō | airôz |
| Acc. | airǭ | airōz |
| Gen. | airōz | airǫ̂ |
| Dat. | airōi | airōmaz |
| Inst. | airō | airōmiz |
| Voc. | airō | airôz |
Descendants
-
*airu (Proto-West Germanic)
-
ār (Old English)
-
ore, hore, oore, are, aurre (Middle English)
- oar (English)
- air (Scots)
-
ore, hore, oore, are, aurre (Middle English)
-
ār (Old English)
-
ár (Old Norse)
- ár (Faroese)
- ár (Icelandic)
- år (Norwegian Bokmål)
- år (Norwegian Nynorsk)
-
ár (Old Norse)
-
aar (Old Danish)
- år (Danish)
-
aar (Old Danish)
-
ár (Old Norse)
-
ār (Old Swedish)
- år (Swedish)
-
ār (Old Swedish)
- *airo (Proto-Finnic)
- *ājrō (Proto-Samic)