Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/līną

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This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

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Etymology

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Likely from Proto-Indo-European *līno-.

Cognates include Latin līnum and all its derivatives.

Although Greek λίνον (línon), Latin linas, Russian лён (ljon) are sometimes listed as cognates, they actually derive from *lino- with a short /i/.

Considering also the existence of a Latin root with a short /i/ and a /t/ (linteum), reconstruction of a common PIE protoform is impossible, and no similarly sounding terms are attested outside of Europe.

If such roots were borrowed from one or several non-IE languages, locating the source is impossible because cultivation of linen was ubiquitous in the region since the Neolithic.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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*līną n

  1. flax
    Synonyms: *flahsą, *hazwaz

Inflection

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neuter a-stemDeclension of *līną (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *līną *līnō
vocative *līną *līnō
accusative *līną *līnō
genitive *līnas, *līnis *līnǫ̂
dative *līnai *līnamaz
instrumental *līnō *līnamiz

Descendants

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Further reading

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  • De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “līnum”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 344