Wurdahuzdą: Proto-Germanic dictionary — *snellazScott K. ShayWardja Presshttps://protogermanic.org/pgmc_snellaz
Single-entry extract from the dictionary. Cross-references to other entries point to their identifiers in the full dictionary.
*snedʰ-to cut
adja-stemactive, bold, quickUncertain. Possibly from Pre-Germanic *snedʰlos, from Proto-Indo-European *snedʰ- (‘to cut’), a root probably also attested in *snadō (‘cut, wound’). If so, the meaning might have developed from "cutting" > "eager to cut" > "eager, active, quick, brave (in battle)". For the assimilation of -dl- to -ll-, see also *stallaz, *knullaz, *trullōną. However, this theory is doubted by linguists, including Magnusson, who seems to favor an onomatopoeic origin.