*bannaną

Reconstruction

The infinitive is *bannaną in Wiktionary,^[1] *ƀannanan in Orel^[2] and *bannan in Köbler;^[3] Kroonen cites the stem *bannan-.^[4]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to speak”).^[1][3] Wiktionary derives it from a pre-Germanic zero-grade nu-present *bʰh₂-nw-, the cluster *-nw- giving the geminate as in *kinnuz and *þunnuz.^[1] Kroonen calls it an o-grade intensive verb which, given its *-nn-, seems to have been made to a thematic nu-present *bʰe-nu-e-; this may have replaced an n-present *bʰe-n-h₂-.^[4]

Morphology

A strong reduplicating verb (class VII) in Old English, Old Frisian, Old Saxon and Old High German.^[3][5] In Old Norse it is weak,^[4][6] and Old Frisian has weak forms too.^[7] Mailhammer classes its Indo-European etymology as inexact.^[5]

Evidence

The verb is found only in North and West Germanic: Old Norse banna, Old English bannan, Old Frisian bonna, Old Frisian banna and Old High German bannan.^[4] Orel adds Old Saxon bannan.^[2] Gothic has no form of the verb, but Kroonen derives Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍅𐍉 (bandwo, “sign”) from the same root.^[8] Wiktionary lists Late Latin banniō among its descendants.^[1]

Competing analyses

For the root, Kroonen and Orel compare Sanskrit भनति (bhánati, “speaks”), Ancient Greek φημί (phēmí, “to say”) and Latin for (“to speak”),^[4][2] and Wiktionary the same Sanskrit verb.^[1] Orel adds an Armenian word for "word", and holds the comparison with Greek and Latin to be only probable.^[2] Torp had already asked whether the verb came from *ba-nv-an.^[9]

Meanings

1. to order, to command^[4][1][3]
2. to summon^[4][1]
3. to proclaim^[1]
4. to forbid, to ban^[1][3]

Old Norse used the verb for "to forbid" and "to curse",^[4] Old Frisian and Old High German for "to summon to court".^[10][11]

Derivatives

• *banną "order, ban",^[12] Orel's *ƀannan "prohibition, ban, order".^[13]
• *bannōną "to command, to summon, to forbid", a weak verb formed to the noun,^[12] Orel's *ƀannōjanan.^[14]
• *bandwijaną "to give a sign, to beckon",^[15] in Kroonen *bandwjan-, a factitive to the Gothic word for "sign", from *bʰonh₂-tuéh₂-.^[8]
• *bōni- "request, prayer", which Kroonen derives from the same root with a ni-suffix and finds only in Germanic and Armenian.^[16]
• With prefixes, in Köbler: *farbannan "to banish" and *gabannan "to summon, to order".^[17][18]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: banna (“to forbid; to ban, to banish”)^[6]
• Old English: bannan (“to summon, to command”)^[19]
• Old Frisian: bonna (“to ban; to command; to summon”)^[7]
• Old Saxon: bannan (“to summon, to order”)^[20]
• Old High German: bannan (“to command, to order; to summon to court”)^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bannaną
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀannanan
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *bannan
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 52
5. ^ a b Mailhammer, Robert (2007), The Germanic Strong Verbs: Foundations and Development of a New System, Trends in Linguistics 183, Berlin / New York: Mouton de Gruyter, p. 224
6. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. banna
7. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bonna
8. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 51
9. ^ Torp, Alf (1909), Wortschatz der germanischen Spracheinheit (Fick, Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der indogermanischen Sprachen, 4th ed., vol. 3), Göttingen, p. 256
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. banna
11. ^ a b 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. bannan
12. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bannōną
13. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀannan
14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀannōjanan
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bandwijaną
16. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 72
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *farbannan
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *gabannan
19. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bannan
20. ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. BANNAN