*arbaz
Runic: ᚨᚱᛒᚨᛉ Pronunciation: /ˈɑr.βɑz/noun · masculine · a-stem
Meanings
- worker, laborer
- working animal, draft animal; ox
- inheritance, patrimony
Etymology
Probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₃órbʰos, from *h₃erbʰ-. Cognate with Old Armenian որբ (orb), Ancient Greek ὀρφανός (orphanós), Latin orbus, and Proto-Slavic *orbъ. The inherited meaning ‘orphan’ is relatively secure, while ‘servant, worker’ represents a secondary semantic development associated with change of social status (Holopainen 2025: 89–94; Martzloff & Machajdíková 2023: 95–97; Olsen 2020: 153–56). Compare *arbaidiz, whose precise formation remains disputed.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | arbaz | arbōz, arbōs |
| Acc. | arbą | arbanz |
| Gen. | arbas, arbis | arbǫ̂ |
| Dat. | arbai | arbamaz |
| Inst. | arbō | arbamiz |
| Voc. | arb | arbōz, arbōs |
Descendants
-
arfr (Old Norse)
- arfur (Icelandic)