Based upon an examination of ancient and modern Germanic languages, this reference for linguists, historians, and other researchers attempts to reconstruct the Proto-Germanic vocabulary. Etymological references (including main etymological dictionaries as well as articles and notes) are included whenever possible. The dictionary only deals with full lexical parallels in Germanic, and the resulting reconstructions are words, not morphemes. The semantic reconstruction of the Proto-Germanic words is not attempted here. The author of several etymological dictionaries, Orel holds a PhD in linguistics from the Russian Academy of Sciences. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)