Cognate Set 1343 – Meaning: black

IE-CoR reference form:
*blaka-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Germanic
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Justification:
Further connections uncertain. Perhaps to be connected with the complex of 'white' words from PGmc. *blank- but due to the difference in semantics this connection remains unclear, cf. OED, EWA 2.
Found in clades:
Germanic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 1 clade by 2 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
112   English black blæk Middle English blak, Old English blæc
111   Old English blæc blæk blæk
References
  • 84:
    S.v. Engl. black (adj.), "Cognate with Middle Dutch blac ink, Old Saxon blac ink (Middle Low German blak ink, black dye, black colour), Old High German blah- (only in blah-faro of the colour of ink, blah-māl niello decoration (Middle High German blach-māl), blah-mālōn to decorate with niello); further etymology uncertain; on formal grounds the word could be from a base related to the Germanic bases of blank adj. and the various forms discussed at blik v., but since this would give an expected meaning ‘shining, white’ there is an obvious semantic difficulty; many have sought to resolve this by hypothesizing that the word meaning ‘black’ originated as a past participle (with the meaning ‘burnt, blackened’) of a verb meaning ‘to burn (brightly)’ derived from this base; this verb may perhaps be reflected by Middle Dutch blaken (Dutch blaken) to flame, to burn."
  • Lloyd, Albert L. and Lühr, Rosemarie and Springer, Otto: 154-155
    Cf. s.v. OHG blah-, only attested in compounds blah-faro 'tintenfarben, tiefblau', blah-mâl 'Niello-Verzierung', blah-mâlôn 'Niello-Verzierung versehen', etc., from Germanic *ƀlaka- 'schwarz; Tinte', almost completely lost in High German; perhaps to be connected with blecken and blanc to the IE root *bʰelg- : *bʰleg- 'glänzen', but because of the semantic chasm between 'glänzend, weiß' and 'schwarz' the immediate derivation from this root is doubtful.