*argaz
Runic: ᚨᚱᚷᚨᛉ Pronunciation: /ˈɑr.ɣɑz/adjective · a-stem
Meanings
- unmanly; cowardly, timid; dishonorable, unworthy
- lewd, sexually indecent; effeminate, especially in North Germanic
Etymology
Probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₃órǵʰ-o-s, an o-grade thematic adjective from *h₃erǵʰ-. The barytone formation has been interpreted as ‘one mounted/copulated with’, beside oxytone *h₃orǵʰ-ó-s (Heidermanns 1993: 102–103). Cognate with Lithuanian eržùs, aržùs and Hittite 𒀀𒅈𒅗𒊑 (ar-ka-ri /arkari/); Russian ёрзать (jórzatʹ) has also been compared but is less secure (Frantíková 2022: 22–23; Kroonen 2013: 34). Probably related to PIE *h₁órǵʰis ~ *h₃órǵʰis, reflected by Ancient Greek ὄρχις (órkhis) and Old Armenian որձիք (orjikʿ). The initial laryngeal is disputed: *h₃- is favored by Kloekhorst (2008: 203) and Kroonen (2013: 34), while LIV² (Rix et al. 2001: 238–39) and Frantíková (Frantíková 2022: 22–23, 228) reconstruct *h₁-. Alternatively, Santoro (2002: 59–63) derives the Germanic adjective from a root meaning ‘shake, tremble’, with ‘cowardly’ as the primary sense.
Declension
Strong declension
| Case | Sg. Masc. | Sg. Fem. | Sg. Neut. | Pl. Masc. | Pl. Fem. | Pl. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | argaz | argō | argą, -atō | argai | argôz | argō |
| Acc. | arganǭ | argǭ | argą, -atō | arganz | argōz | argō |
| Gen. | argas, -is | argaizōz | argas, -is | argaizǫ̂ | argaizǫ̂ | argaizǫ̂ |
| Dat. | argammai | argaizōi | argammai | argaimaz | argaimaz | argaimaz |
| Inst. | arganō | argaizō | arganō | argaimiz | argaimiz | argaimiz |
Weak declension
| Case | Sg. Masc. | Sg. Fem. | Sg. Neut. | Pl. Masc. | Pl. Fem. | Pl. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | argô | argǭ | argô | arganiz | argōniz | argōnō |
| Acc. | arganų | argōnų | argô | arganunz | argōnunz | argōnō |
| Gen. | arginiz | argōniz | arginiz | arganǫ̂ | argōnǫ̂ | arganǫ̂ |
| Dat. | argini | argōni | argini | argammaz | argōmaz | argammaz |
| Inst. | arginē | argōnē | arginē | argammiz | argōmiz | argammiz |
Descendants
-
*arg (Proto-West Germanic)
-
arg (Old Dutch)
-
arch (Middle Dutch)
-
erg (Dutch)
- erg (Afrikaans)
-
erg (Dutch)
-
arch (Middle Dutch)
-
arg (Old Dutch)
-
*arg (Proto-West Germanic)
-
earg, arg (Old English)
-
arg, argh, eri (Middle English)
- argh, eerie (English)
-
arg, argh, eri (Middle English)
-
earg, arg (Old English)
-
*arg (Proto-West Germanic)
-
earg, arg (Old English)
-
arg, argh, eri (Middle English)
-
argh, arch (Early Scots)
- ergh, erfe, erf (Scots)
-
argh, arch (Early Scots)
-
arg, argh, eri (Middle English)
-
earg, arg (Old English)
-
*arg (Proto-West Germanic)
-
erch, erg (Old Frisian)
- ärch, äärch (Saterland Frisian)
- erch, arch (West Frisian)
-
erch, erg (Old Frisian)
-
*arg (Proto-West Germanic)
-
arg, arc, arga (Old High German)
-
arc (Middle High German)
- arg, arig (Alemannic German)
- oarg (Bavarian)
- ärch, arch (Central Franconian)
- arg (German)
- uerg (Luxembourgish)
- ערגער (erger), ערגסט (ergst) (Yiddish)
-
arc (Middle High German)
-
arg, arc, arga (Old High German)
-
*arg (Proto-West Germanic)
-
*arug, *arg (Old Saxon)
-
arich, arch (Middle Low German)
- arg (Low German)
-
arich, arch (Middle Low German)
-
*arug, *arg (Old Saxon)
-
argr, ragr (Old Norse)
- arg (Danish)
- argur (Faroese)
- argur (Icelandic)
- arg, arga (Scots)
-
argr, ragr (Old Norse)
-
ragr (Old Norse)
- ragur (Icelandic)
- ragher (Old Swedish)
-
ragr (Old Norse)
-
argr, ragr (Old Norse)
-
argher (Old Swedish)
- arg (Swedish)
-
argher (Old Swedish)
-
*𐌰𐍂𐌲𐍃 (*args) (Gothic)
- haragán (Spanish)
-
*arka (Proto-Finnic)
- arg (Estonian)
- arka (Finnish)
- arga (Karelian)
- *ārkē (Proto-Samic)