*armalausaz

From *armaz¹ + *-lausaz. The second constituent is the compound use of *lausaz, well established in Germanic privative compounds; compare Gothic 𐌰𐌺𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃 (akranalaus), 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃 (gudalaus), and 𐍅𐌹𐍄𐍉𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃 (witodalaus) (Lehmann 1986a: 229, s.v. laus). The precise form of the first constituent is uncertain. Late Latin armilaus(i)a and the ethnonym Armilausini preserve an older linking vowel -i-/-e-; Rübekeil (2020: 201–206) argues that transmitted -a- is probably secondary, arising within Latin, perhaps partly through folk-etymological association with Latin arma. He proposes a Germanic formation based on **armijō or **armilō, perhaps meaning something like ‘sleeve’, both of which would regularly have *-i- at the compound boundary.