Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kūz

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

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws. This word is alternatively reconstructed as *gʷéh₃us ~ *gʷh₃éws.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuːz/

Noun

*kūz f

1. cow

Inflection

The exact inflection of this word is uncertain, but likely alternated between the stems *kū- and *kwō-. The former might have originated from an earlier *kwōu- in which the long vowel was assimilated to the adjacent labials or from an analogy with *sūz (“sow”).

consonant stemDeclension of *kūz (consonant stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*kūz	*kwōiz
vocative	*kū	*kwōiz
accusative	*kwǭ	*kwōnz
genitive	*kwōiz	*kwōǫ̂
dative	*kwōi	*kwōmaz
instrumental	*kwōē	*kwōmiz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *kū
  • Old English: cū
    • Middle English: cou, cow, cowe, cu, kow, kowe, ku
      • English: cow (see there for further descendants)
      • Geordie English: coo
      • Scots: coo, coe, cou
      • Yola: keow
  • Old Frisian: kū
    • North Frisian: ko, kø, kü
    • Saterland Frisian: Ku
    • West Frisian: ko
  • Old Saxon: kō
    • Middle Low German: kô, ko, koo, kou, koe, koh, koy, ku
      • German Low German: Koh, Kauh, Ko, Koo, Kuh
      • Plautdietsch: Koo
  • Old Dutch: cuo
    • Middle Dutch: coe
      • Dutch: koe (see there for further descendants)
      • Limburgish: ków
      • West Flemish: koe
  • Old High German: kuo
    • Middle High German: kuo
      • Alemannic German: Chue

        Alsatian: Küeh

        Walser: Chua

      • Bavarian: Kuah

        Cimbrian: khua

        Mòcheno: kua

      • Central Franconian: Koh, Kuh

        Hunsrik: Kuh

        Luxembourgish: Kou

      • East Franconian: Kou, Kua, Kuu
      • German: Kuh
      • Pennsylvania German: Kuh
      • Vilamovian: kü
      • Yiddish: קו (ku)
• Proto-Norse:
  • Old West Norse: kýr
    • Icelandic: kýr
    • Faroese: kúgv, kú
    • Norwegian Nynorsk: ku
    • Norwegian Bokmål: ku
    • Jamtish: kú
    • Elfdalian: tjyr
  • Old East Norse: *kōʀ
    • Old Swedish: kō
      • Swedish: ko
    • Old Danish: kō
      • Danish: ko
• → Proto-Samic: *kusë
  • Western Samic:
    • Southern Sami: govse
    • Ume Sami: guvssa
    • Pite Sami: gussa
    • Lule Sami: gussa
    • Northern Sami: gussa
  • Eastern Samic:
    • Inari Sami: kussâ
    • Skolt Sami: kuss