Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/401

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filu, from *fëlu-, is based on Aryan adj. pelu (polú-), from which Sans. purú, OPers. paru, Gr. πολύ-, OIr. il, ‘much,’ are derived; so too Lat. pollere, ‘to be strong.’ The root of these cognates is the same as in voll, which see. The disappearance of the old adj. felu- was due chiefly to the cognates of mancher (Goth. manags); yet the other Aryan languages use the adj. only sparingly. —

Vielfraß, m., ‘glutton, Ursus gulo,’ ModHG. only, a corruption of Scand. fjallfress, m., ‘mountain bear.’ —

vielleicht, adv., from MidHG. vil lîhte, lit. ‘very easy,’ then ‘probably,’ finally ‘perhaps.’

vier, num., ‘four,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vier, OHG. fior; corresponding to OSax. fiwar, Du. vier, AS. feower, feówer, E. four; the AS. variant fyðer- (in compounds) points, like the corresponding Goth. fidwôr ( fidur-), to a primary form detwor, petur, for qetwor, qetur. The latter forms show that Teut. vier is connected with Lat. quattuor, Gr. τέσσαρες (πίσυρες), Sans. catur, OSlov. četyri, ‘four.’ The common Aryan qetur-, ktru-, is also indicated by ModHG. Raute (from hrûdô-, equiv. to krû-tā́, lit. ‘quaternity.’ —

Vierteil, n., ‘quarter’; for the suffix, see Teil.

Visier, n. ‘visor,’ borrowed in the 15th cent. from the equiv. Ital. visiera, Fr. visière.

Vizdom, m., ‘viceregent,’ from MidHG. viztuom, m., ‘governor, administrator’; formed from vicedominus, whence also Fr. vidame.

Vließ, see Flies.

Vogel, m., ‘bird, fowl,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vogel, OHG. fogal, m.; a common Teut. term; comp. Goth. fugls, AS. fugol. E. fowl, Du. vogel, OSax. fugal, m., ‘bird.’ This specifically Teut. word has no exact correspondence in non-Teut. Teut. fugla- is perhaps derived from the Teut. root flug, ‘to fly,’ thus connecting the word with Geflügel (for which gevügele occurs, however, in MidHG.) as the collective of Vogel. Others prefer to connect it with Fuchs, which is regarded as ‘the animal with a tail.’ There is no term in Teut. corresponding to Lat. avis, Sans. vi, ‘bird.’

Vogt, m., ‘overseer, steward, bailiff,’ from MidHG. vogt, voget, OHG. fógat (*fogā́t), m.; from MidLat. vocâtus, with the pronunciation of the Lat. v like f, as in Vers, Vesper (comp. Käfig). The MidLat. term is for advocatus (whence OHG.

pfogát); comp. Fr. avoué, ‘defender of a church or abbey, attorney.’ MidLat. advocatus signified lit. ‘legal assistant,’ whence the meanings ‘guardian’ (MidHG. and ModHG. dial.) and ‘patron, protector.’ MidHG. voget denotes also ‘the protector of the Romish Church, King or Emperor of Rome, king and ruler (generally),’ and further ‘governor, legal official.’

Volk, n., ‘people, nation, soldiery, troops,’ from the equiv. MidHG. volc (k), OHG. folc, n. (rarely m.); corresponding to OSax. folk, Du. volk, AS. folc, E. folk; OIc. fólk, ‘people, troops, detachment.’ The latter seems to be the primary meaning, from which Lith. pulkas, ‘heap, crowd,’ and OSlov. plŭkŭ, ‘troops,’ are borrowed. The connection of the word with Lat. vulgus is uncertain, for it is very dubious whether the Lat. word and the Teut. cognates can be based on a primary form, qelgos, qolgos.

voll, adj., ‘full, complete, entire,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vol (ll), OHG. fol (ll); a common Teut. adj., corresponding to the equiv. Goth. fulls, AS. and E. full, Du. vol, and OSax. full. Allied to füllen, which see. The other Aryan languages also preserve a corresponding plno- (ln becomes Teut. ll); comp. Sans. pûrṇá, Zend parena, Lith. pìlnas, OSlov. plŭnŭ, OIr. lán (for plôno-), Lat. plênus, ‘full’ (manipulus, ‘handful’). The Lat. adj. is a partic. in no-, from the root plê, ‘to till’ (Lat. complêre, implêre; Gr. πίμπλημι, from the root πλη), which appears in Sans. as pur, prâ, ‘to fill.’ The cognates of viel belong to the similar root pel. —

vollkommen, adj., ‘perfect, complete,’ from MidHG. volkumen, ‘accomplished, grown up, complete’; properly a partic. of MidHG. volkumen, ‘to reach the end or goal.’

von, prep., ‘of, from, concerning,’ from the equiv. MidHG. von, vone (dial. van), OHG. fona (fana); corresponding to OSax. fon, fan, fana, ‘of,’ Du. van. The pre-Teut. pana, on which the word is based, is rightly regarded as an extension of the shortened Aryan form apo, which is discussed under ab.

vor, adv. and prep., ‘before,’ from MidHG. vor, vore, OHG. fora; corresponding to Goth. faúr and faúra, ‘before,’ OSax. for, fora, Du. vor, AS. and E. for. In non-Teut. are found the correspondences Sans. purâ and purás, ‘before,’ with pra, Gr. πάρος with πρό; ModHG. für, as well as Lat. pro, are more remotely allied.