Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-il

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

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

Suffix

*-il

  1. -er: suffix forming instrument nouns or occasionally agent nouns
    1. forms instrument nouns, such as the names of tools
      *bautan (to beat) + ‎-il → ‎*bautil (chisel; mallet)
    2. forms agent nouns
      *snagōn (to crawl, creep) + ‎-il → ‎*snagil (snail)
      *gangan (to go, walk) + ‎-il → ‎*gangil (walker) (inherited from *gangilaz)
Alternative forms

Inflection

Masculine a-stem
Singular
Nominative *-il
Genitive *-ilas
Singular Plural
Nominative *-il *-ilōs
Accusative *-il *-ilā
Genitive *-ilas *-ilō
Dative *-ilē *-ilum
Instrumental *-ilu *-ilum
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Old English: -el, -ol, -ul
  • Old Frisian:
    • West Frisian: -el
  • Old Saxon: -al, -il
    • Middle Low German: -el
      • Low German: -el
  • Old Dutch:
  • Old High German: -il
    • Middle High German: -el

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

Suffix

*-il

  1. forms diminutive nouns

Inflection

Masculine a-stem
Singular
Nominative *-il
Genitive *-ilas
Singular Plural
Nominative *-il *-ilōs
Accusative *-il *-ilā
Genitive *-ilas *-ilō
Dative *-ilē *-ilum
Instrumental *-ilu *-ilum
Alternative forms
Derived terms
Descendants

Etymology 3

From Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

Suffix

*-il

  1. forms adjectives from verbs (alternative form of *-ul)
Inflection
a-stem
Singular Masculine
Nominative *-il
Genitive *-ilas
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative *-il *-ilu *-il
Accusative *-ilanā *-ilā *-il
Genitive *-ilas *-ileʀā *-ilas
Dative *-ilumē *-ileʀē *-ilumē
Instrumental *-ilu *-ileʀu *-ilu
Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative *-ilē *-ilō *-ilu
Accusative *-ilā *-ilā *-ilu
Genitive *-ileʀō *-ileʀō *-ileʀō
Dative *-ilēm, *-ilum *-ilēm, *-ilum *-ilēm, *-ilum
Instrumental *-ilēm, *-ilum *-ilēm, *-ilum *-ilēm, *-ilum
Derived terms