*aþnaz/aþną
Runic: ᚨᚦᚾᚨᛉ/ᚨᚦᚾᚨ Pronunciation: /ˈɑθ.nɑz/, / ˈɑθ.nɑ̃/noun · masculine · a-stem
Meanings
a year
Etymology
Traditionally from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ét-no-, a *-no- formation beside the rare verbal base reflected by Sanskrit अतसि (atasi) (de Vaan 2008: 43–44; Rix et al. 2001: 273). Cognate with Latin annus, Oscan aceneis, akenei, and Umbrian acnu < Proto-Italic *atno- (de Vaan 2008: 43–44; Kroonen 2013: 40). Root accent is required by Germanic (Ringe 2017: 137), since suffixal accent would have produced **atta- by Kluge’s Law (Kroonen 2013: 40). Alternatively, *atno- may continue Western PIE *h₂etmno-, connecting Old Irish amm and Gaulish amman (Stifter 2017: 220–222; Weiss 2022: 129). Gothic is attested only as dat. pl. 𐌰𐌸𐌽𐌰𐌼 (aþnam), which cannot distinguish masculine from neuter.
Gender/Declension
Based on a single, ambiguous attestation in Gothic, it is unclear if the original noun was masculine or neuter, with a slight bias towards masculine, given the Latin cognate's gender.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | aþnaz; aþną | aþnōz, aþnōs; aþnō |
| Acc. | aþną | aþnanz; aþnō |
| Gen. | aþnas, aþnis | aþnǫ̂ |
| Dat. | aþnai | aþnamaz |
| Inst. | aþnō | aþnamiz |
| Voc. | aþn; aþną | aþnōz, aþnōs; aþnō |
Descendants
- 𐌰𐌸𐌽𐌰𐌼 (aþnam) (Gothic)