Proto-Germanic, Northwest

Facts

Language: Proto-Germanic, Northwest
Alternate names: Common Germanic
Language code: xpgnw
Language family: Indo-European, Germanic (SIL classification)
Number of speakers: Extinct
Script: Latin script

More information:

Introduction

Proto-Germanic is the hypothetical common ancestor (proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English, Dutch, Afrikaans, German, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, and Swedish. The Proto-Germanic language is not directly attested by any surviving texts but has been reconstructed using the comparative method. However, a few surviving inscriptions in a runic script from Scandinavia dated to c. 200 are thought to represent a stage of Proto-Norse or Late Common Germanic immediately following the "Proto-Germanic" stage.

Proto-Germanic evolved into following languages by the 4th century:

Proto-Germanic, Eastern: Gothic
Proto-Germanic, Northwest: Proto-Norse, Frankish and Ingvaeonic

Proto-Germanic is itself descended from Proto-Indo-European.

The Proto-Germanic verb

Two voices: Active and Passive
Three moods: Indicative, Subjunctive, and Imperative
3 numbers: Singular, Dual, and Plural
3 persons

Sample verb: berana

Present participle: berand
Past participle: boren

	ACTIVE					PASSIVE
	Indicative		Imperative	Subjunctive		Indicative	Subjunctive
	Present	Past	Imperative	Present	Past	Present	Present
Sg.1	beru	berō	-	bar	bērī	berad̵e	berēd̵u
Sg.2	biriz	berēz	ber!	bart	bērīs	beraze	berēzu
Sg.3	birid̵	berē	berōd̵a!	bar	bērī	berad̵e	berēd̵u
Du.1	berōz	berēwe	-	bēru	bērīwe	-	-
Du.2	berad̵z	berēd̵z	-	bērts	bērīez	-	-
Pl.1	berumz	berēme	-	bērm	bērīme	berande	berēndu
Pl.2	bered̵	berēd̵	-	bērd̵	bērīe
Pl.3	berand	berēn	berandō!	bērun	bērīn

External Links

A Grammar of Proto-Germanic

References

Voyles, Joseph B.. Early Germanic grammar : pre-, proto-, and post-Germanic languages. San Diego, 1992.