*awiz

Runic: ᚨᚹᛁᛉ Pronunciation: /ˈɑ.wiz/

noun · feminine · i-stem

Meanings

  1. sheep
  2. ewe, especially in Northwest Germanic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówi- ~ *h₂éwi-, an acrostatic i-stem, traditionally cited as nominative singular *h₂ówis. The initial laryngeal is disputed: *h₂- is perhaps most likely, but *h₃ówi- ~ *h₃éwi- remains a viable alternative and is preferred by several major etymological dictionaries (Adams 2025; Beekes 2010: 1060–61, s.v. ὄϊς; de Vaan 2008: 437–38; Kloekhorst 2008: 337–38, s.v. ḫāu̯i-; Kroonen 2013: 45, s.v. *awi-). The inherited meaning was generic ‘sheep’; specialization to ‘ewe’ is secure in Northwest Germanic, though Kroonen reconstructs this sense already for Proto-Germanic (Kroonen 2013: 45; Ringe & Taylor 2014: 237). Cognate with Sanskrit अवि- (ávi-) (Mayrhofer 1992: 135), Ancient Greek ὄῐ̈ς (óĭ̈s) (Beekes 2010: 1060–61, s.v. ὄϊς), Latin ovis (de Vaan 2008: 437–38), Lithuanian avi̇̀s, and Cuneiform Luwian 𒄩𒀀𒌑𒄿𒅖 (ḫa-a-ú-i-iš, /ḫāwīs/), and Lycian 𐊜𐊀𐊇𐊙 (χawã) (Kloekhorst 2008: 337–38).

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nom.awizawīz
Acc.awįawinz
Gen.awīzawjǫ̂
Dat.awīawimaz
Inst.awīawimiz
Voc.awiawīz

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Descendants

  • *awi (Proto-West Germanic)
    • *ōi, *ouwi, *ouw (Old Dutch)
      • ou, ooi (Middle Dutch)
        • ooi (Dutch)
          • ooi (Afrikaans)
  • *awi (Proto-West Germanic)
    • eowu (Old English)
      • ewe, awe, eu, ouwe, yeue, yowe (Middle English)
        • ewe (English)
        • yowe, yhow (Scots)
  • *awi (Proto-West Germanic)
    • ei, ey (Old Frisian)
      • oye, Oue (Saterland Frisian)
      • ei (West Frisian)
  • *awi (Proto-West Germanic)
    • awi, au, ou, ouwi (Old High German)
      • ouwe (Middle High German)
        • Au (Alemannic German)
        • Aue (German)
  • *awi (Proto-West Germanic)
    • ewi, ewwi (Old Saxon)
      • ewe (Middle Low German)
        • Eev, Öwwe (Low German)
  • ær (Old Norse)
    • ålam (Danish)
    • ær (Faroese)
    • ær (Icelandic)
    • ærsaud, ærsau (Norwegian Nynorsk)

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