Indo-European etymology : List with all references

Proto-IE: *(s)perg-

Meaning: sparrow

Old Greek: {sporgílo-s m. N. eines Vogels, `Sperling ?' - nowhere found!}, spérgoulos = ornithárion Hsch., pérgoulos (Argive ?) 'a small bird' Hsc.

Baltic: *sper-g-l=, *spur-g-l=

Germanic: *sperk=

Russ. meaning: птица (воробей)

References: WP II 666 f

Comments: Cf. *spar(w)-, *spraw-, *(s)pars- #1104

Baltic etymology :

Proto-Baltic: *sper-g-l=, *spur-g-l=

Meaning: sparrow

Indo-European etymology: Indo-European etymology

Old Prussian: spurglis `Sperling' V. 738, sperglawanagis `Sperber (ястреб-перепелятник)' V. 714

Germanic etymology :

Proto-Germanic: [*sperk=]; *sparwa-z, *sparwēn; *sprawēn

Meaning: sparrow

IE etymology: IE etymology

Gothic: *sparwa m. (n) `sparrow'

Old Norse: spɔr-r m. `Sperling'; spar-r m. `id.'; sparr-haukr m. `Sperber'

Norwegian: sporr, sporv, sparv

Swedish: sparv

Danish: spurv

Old English: spearwa, -an m. `sparrow'; { spear-hefoc }

English: sparrow

Old Saxon: sprā, sprāla

Middle Dutch: sperwāre, sparwāre m.

Dutch: sperwer m.

Middle Low German: [sparlink, sperlink]; sparwer, sperwer

Old High German: [sperih m., sperihha f. (Hs. 12. Jh.)]; sparo (8.Jh.); spar(a)wāri (11.Jh.)

Middle High German: [md. spɛrc, spɛrke, spɛrche m. 'sperling', f.] ; spar(e) wk. m., sparwe, sperwe wk. m. 'sperling'; sparwǟre, spɛrwǟre, spɛrbǟre, spɛrber st. m. 'geringere, von s perlingen lenebde falkenart, sperber'; spɛrlinc, spirlinc, -g- st. m. 'sperling'

German: Sperling; { [Sprehe `Star'] }; Sperber

Pokorny's dictionary :

Number: 1840

Root: sper-2(g-)

English meaning: a k. of bird (sparrow?)

German meaning: in Vogelnamen, besonders `Sperling'

Derivatives: sparu̯o- : prau̯o- ds.

Material: Got. sparwa, ags. spearwa, ahd. sparo `Sperling' (*urgerm. *sparwan-); mhd. sperlinc nhd.Sperling, Deminutiv; aisl. spǫrr ds. aus *sparwa-z, vgl. auch nhd. Sperber, ahd. sparwā̆ri (Endglied nach ahd. aro `Aar, Adler' umgestaltet?);

gr. σπαράσιον ὄρνεον ἐμφερες στρουθῳ̃ Hes. (*σπαρn̥-ti̯om); das formantische u̯ auch (??) in gr. ψά̄ρ, ion. ep. ψήρ (hom. Akk. Pl. ψη̃ρας), Gen. ψᾱρός `Star' (ursprüngl. *ψά̄ρ-ς, Gen. *ψαρός?), jünger ψά̆ρος, ψᾱρος, ψα̃ρος m. ds., ψᾱρός `stargrau'; dazu wohl as. sprā, ndl. spreeuw, nordfries.sprian, mnd. sprēn, nd. (nhd.) sprehe `Star';

corn. frau, bret. frâo `Krähe' (*sprawā); daß lat. parra `ein Vogel, dessen Geschrei Unglückbedeutete', umbr. parfam, parfa `parram' (*parsa) ein s-loser Verwandter sei, ist ganz fragwürdig;

toch. A spārāñ `ein Vogel';

Formen auf g: gr. PN Σποργίλος `Sperling', (σ)πέργουλος ὀρνιθάριον ἄγριον Hes.; ahd. sperk, sperch, spirch `Sperling', apr. spergla-wanag[is] `Sperber' (eig. `Sperlingsgeier'), ablaut. spurglis m. `Sperling'.

References: WP. II 666 f., WH. II 257, Trautmann 275.

Pages: 991

PIE database: PIE database