*bīdaną

Reconstruction

The infinitive is *bīdaną in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] cited by its stem *bīdan- in Kroonen^[3] and as *ƀīđanan in Orel.^[4]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- (“to trust”):^[2] Kroonen derives it from the European present *bʰéidʰ-e-,^[5] and Ringe starts from a PIE present meaning "to believe someone", which became pre-Germanic *bʰéydʰ-e/o- "to wait for".^[6]

Morphology

A strong verb of class I.^[7][8] Ringe gives the principal parts *bīdaną, *baid, *bidun, *bidanaz.^[1]

Evidence

The verb is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌽 (beidan), Old Norse bíða, and Old English bīdan, Old Saxon bīdan and Old High German bītan in West Germanic.^[5] Old Frisian has the weak verb Old Frisian bīdia.^[5] The Gothic verb occurs in Wulfila's Bible, with the compounds Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌽 (gabeidan, “to endure”) and Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌽 (usbeidan, “to expect”).^[7] Outside Germanic, Kroonen compares Ancient Greek πείθομαι (peíthomai, “to trust, rely, obey, be persuaded”), Latin fīdō (“to trust”) and Albanian bindem (“to be convinced, believe”).^[5]

Competing analyses

Kroonen thinks the Germanic sense "to wait" developed from "to suffer", as Old Norse bíða has both senses, and finds an older sense in the causative "to force".^[5] Ringe sets up a shift from "trust" to "wait for".^[6] Feist accepted the Greek, Albanian and Latin comparisons without being able to reconcile their meanings with "to await",^[9] and Holthausen called the verb of unknown origin.^[10] Bammesberger mentions a PIE *gʷʰeydʰ- as an alternative to *bʰeydʰ-, after Seebold.^[11] Orel derives *bidjaną "to ask, to pray" from this verb, after Osthoff,^[12] a connection Wiktionary rejects.^[13]

Meanings

1. to wait^[5][4][2]
2. to wait for, to await^[1][2]

Old Norse also used the verb for "to suffer, undergo",^[5] Old English for "to remain, to live, to endure",^[14] and Old High German for "to hope, to trust in".^[8]

Derivatives

• *baidijaną "to force, compel, demand", the causative;^[15][16] Kroonen writes *baidjan-, Orel *ƀaiđjanan.^[16][17]
• *bidą "waiting", a zero-grade action noun;^[18] Orel's *ƀiđan.^[12]
• *ƀiđōjanan "to wait", a weak verb in Orel.^[12]
• *uzbīdaną "to wait out, to be patient", with *uz-.^[19]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌽 (beidan, “to await, to wait”)^[9]
• Old Norse: bíða (“to wait for; to suffer”), as Kroonen lists it^[5]
• Old English: bīdan (“to stay, to wait; to endure”)^[14]
• Old Frisian: bīdia (“to wait, to stay”), a weak verb^[20]
• Old Saxon: bīdan (“to wait, stay, expect”), as Kroonen lists it^[5]
• Old High German: bītan (“to wait, to remain, to hope”)^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 266
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bīdaną
3. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 47, 63
4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 46
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 63
6. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 180
7. ^ a b Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. 93
8. ^ a b c Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. bîtan
9. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. beidan
10. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Gotisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 14
11. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 55
12. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 45
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bidjaną
14. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bīdan
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *baidijaną
16. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 47
17. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 32
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bidą
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *uzbīdaną
20. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bīdia