Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/þimstr

This Proto-West 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-West Germanic

Alternative forms

• *finistr

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þimstraz, from Proto-Indo-European *témH-s-ro-s, from *temH- (“dark”). Cognate with Sanskrit तमिस्र (tamisra, “dark”), Latin tenebrae (“darkness”), Lithuanian tamsa (“darkness”). Perhaps related to *þiustrī (“dark, gloomy”).

Adjective

*þimstr

1. dark, dusky

Inflection

a-stem
Singular	Masculine
Nominative	*þimstr
Genitive	*þimstras
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*þimstr	*þimstru	*þimstr
Accusative	*þimstranā	*þimstrā	*þimstr
Genitive	*þimstras	*þimstreʀā	*þimstras
Dative	*þimstrumē	*þimstreʀē	*þimstrumē
Instrumental	*þimstru	*þimstreʀu	*þimstru
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*þimstrē	*þimstrō	*þimstru
Accusative	*þimstrā	*þimstrā	*þimstru
Genitive	*þimstreʀō	*þimstreʀō	*þimstreʀō
Dative	*þimstrēm, *þimstrum	*þimstrēm, *þimstrum	*þimstrēm, *þimstrum
Instrumental	*þimstrēm, *þimstrum	*þimstrēm, *þimstrum	*þimstrēm, *þimstrum

Descendants

Several descendants are from a variant *finistr, in which the dental and labial articulations switched their positions.

• Old Saxon: *finistar, *thinstar
  • Middle Low German: vinster, dinster, *dienster (attested in Middle Low German dinsternisse, diensternisse)
  • >? Middle Low German: dûnster (possibly conflated with unattested *dûster < *þiustrī)
• Old Dutch: odt, *thimster, *finistar
  • Middle Dutch: demster, deemster, vinster
    • Dutch: deemster
• Old High German: thinstar, dinstar, finistir, finstar
  • Middle High German: vinster, dinster, dunster
    • German: finster
    • Yiddish: פֿינצטער (fintster)

Further reading

• Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN