*alinō
Runic: ᚨᛚᛁᚾᛟ Pronunciation: /ˈɑ.li.nɔː/noun · feminine · ō-stem
Meanings
- forearm; elbow
- ell, cubit; a unit of length based on the forearm
Etymology
From pre-Germanic *olīnā ~ *olenā, ultimately a feminine *-eh₂ formation beside an Indo-European n-stem meaning ‘elbow’. The underlying noun was an ablauting body part n-stem, reconstructed by Pronk (2015: 333–34) as *h₃eh₁-l-n- ~ *h₃h₁-el-n- and probably originally singulative; the precise laryngeal reconstruction is uncertain (de Vaan 2008: 638). Cognate with Ancient Greek ὠλένη (ōlénē), Latin ulna, Old Irish uilen, and Welsh elin (Beekes 2010: 1678–79; Matasović 2009a: 297–98). The short -i- forms (in Northwest Germanic) may continue *alenō (with subsequent *e > *i from unstressed *e) from the pre-Germanic variant *olenā, alongside a form with long -ī-, *alīnō from the pre-Germanic *olīnā variant (seen in Gothic), reflecting inherited suffixal variation. Alternatively, Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰 (aleina) could reflect original Proto-Germanic *alīnō with subsequent shortening in North and West Germanic (Lloyd et al. 1998: s.v. elina).
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | alinō | alinôz |
| Acc. | alinǭ | alinōz |
| Gen. | alinōz | alinǫ̂ |
| Dat. | alinōi | alinōmaz |
| Inst. | alinō | alinōmiz |
| Voc. | alinō | alinôz |
Descendants
-
*alinu (Proto-West Germanic)
-
*elina (Old Dutch)
-
elle, elne (Middle Dutch)
- el (Dutch)
-
elle, elne (Middle Dutch)
-
*elina (Old Dutch)
-
*alinu (Proto-West Germanic)
-
eln (Old English)
-
elne, elle, ellen, eln, ellyn (Middle English)
- ell (English)
- elne, ellne, eln, el, ell (Scots)
-
elne, elle, ellen, eln, ellyn (Middle English)
-
eln (Old English)
-
*alinu (Proto-West Germanic)
-
elne, ielne (Old Frisian)
- Äälne (Saterland Frisian)
- jelne, jellen (West Frisian)
-
elne, ielne (Old Frisian)
-
*alinu (Proto-West Germanic)
-
elina, elena, elna, elle (Old High German)
-
elline, elne, elle, eln, ellen, ele (Middle High German)
- Elle (German)
-
elline, elne, elle, eln, ellen, ele (Middle High German)
-
elina, elena, elna, elle (Old High German)
-
*alinu (Proto-West Germanic)
-
elina (Old Saxon)
-
elne (Middle Low German)
- Ell (Low German)
-
elne (Middle Low German)
-
elina (Old Saxon)
-
*ᚨᛚᛁᚾᚢ (*alinu) (Proto-Norse)
-
alin, eln, ǫln (Old Norse)
- alen (Danish)
- alin (Faroese)
- alin, öln (Icelandic)
-
alin, eln, ǫln (Old Norse)
-
*ᚨᛚᛁᚾᚢ (*alinu) (Proto-Norse)
-
alin, eln, ǫln (Old Norse)
- alen (Norwegian)
-
alin, eln, ǫln (Old Norse)
-
*ᚨᛚᛁᚾᚢ (*alinu) (Proto-Norse)
-
alin, eln, ǫln (Old Norse)
-
alin, aln (Old Swedish)
- aln (Swedish)
-
alin, aln (Old Swedish)
-
alin, eln, ǫln (Old Norse)
-
𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰 (aleina) (Gothic)
- *alina (Vulgar Latin)