abbast.

From Old Norse abbast, of unknown origin. De Vries (1977) and Magnússon (1989) propose the following theories: * Related to Old Norse apr (“evil; concerned”, adjective; whence Icelandic apur (“hard; cold, bitter”, adjective)), from Proto-Germanic *ampraz (“sour”, adjective), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₃mós (“raw; sour”, adjective); * Related to Old Norse afr/aðr (“strong”, adjective), which Vennemann gen. Nierfeld (2012) and Cohen (1975) argue derives from Proto-Germanic *abr-, borrowed from Hebrew אַבִּיר (“strong”, adjective); if so, from Hebrew אֵבָר (“to be strong”, verb) and related to Akkadian 𒀀𒁀𒊒 (abāru, “strength”); * Related to Old Norse afl m (“physical strength; force; majority; virtue”, noun) (whence Icelandic afl (“might; energy; force”, noun)), from Proto-Germanic *aflą n (“strength”, noun), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- (“to work; ability”). * Related to Icelandic afsi m (“fury; unruly person/animal”, noun), Icelandic afsa- (“very”, prefix), both of unknown origin; * Related to Old Norse æfr (“fierce”, adjective; whence Icelandic æfur (“fierce”, adjective)), from Proto-Germanic *aibraz (“harsh”, adjective), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eybʰros (“harsh”); possibly inlfuenced by Proto-Germanic *abraz (“fierce”, adjective), from Pre-Germanic *h₃(e)prós, equivalent to the lost strong verb *afaną + *-raz. Jóhannesson (1932, 1965) claims that abbast, all previously mentioned theorised related terms excluding apr, and afrnagandi, afryrði, afsaligr, afsast, ebbi, efla, efna, efni, and œfa ultimately derive from Proto-Germanic *op-, but his work has since been retracted. Equivalent to *abba + -st. It is unclear whether there was ever use in the active voice (i.e. standalone *abba). Not attested on its own (i.e. outside of abbast í, abbast til, abbast upp á, abbast út í, abbast við) until 1896.