*agjō

Reconstruction

The word is *agjō in Köbler, Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2][3] *aʒjō in Orel,^[4] and the stem *agjō- in Kroonen.^[5]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”): Kroonen calls it a ieh₂-stem to the root, which he writes *h₂ek-,^[5] and Wiktionary starts from a PIE noun *h₂éḱ-ih₂ ~ *h₂ḱ-yéh₂-s.^[3] Ringe derives it from PIE *h₂ḱiáh₂ "sharpness, sharp edge", the source also of Latin aciēs.^[2]

Morphology

A feminine noun,^[5][4] a jō-stem.^[6][7] Ringe notes that the initial laryngeal of the PIE form should have been lost by regular sound change, in Latin as in Germanic, so the initial vowel of both must have been levelled in from related full-grade forms.^[2] In Old English the *-gj- was geminated: Fulk derives Old English ecg from Proto-West Germanic *aggju, from *aʒjō.^[8]

Evidence

The word is attested in North and West Germanic: Old Norse egg, Old Frisian edze, Old Saxon eggia and Old High German ecka or egga.^[5] No Gothic form is listed by Kroonen or Orel.^[5][4] Orel adds a Burgundian *agja "edge".^[4] It was borrowed early into Finnic as Proto-Finnic *akja, continued in Karelian akja (“tip, head, end”), Veps agd' (“end, tip”) and Livonian aigä (“shore, edge, side”).^[9] LÄGLOS takes it from Proto-Germanic *agjā, later *agjō, or from Proto-Norse *agju.^[9] De Vries lists the same Finnic words as loans from Norse.^[10] Wiktionary also lists Proto-Sami *āvčō among the descendants.^[3]

Competing analyses

Orel relates the word to Ancient Greek ἀκίς (akís, “sharp point”), Latin aciēs (“sharp edge”) and other continuants of an IE *ak̂- "sharp".^[4] Bammesberger also sets it beside the Latin word and traces both to one Indo-European form.^[7]

Meanings

1. edge^[5][1][3]
2. blade; sword^[5][1]
3. point; corner^[1][3]

Old High German also used the word for "rim" and "front",^[11] and Old Frisian for a side or party in a lawsuit.^[12]

Derivatives

• *agjōną "to harrow".^[13] Orel has a weak verb *aʒjōjanan, with Old Norse "to incite" and Old English "to sharpen".^[4]
• *agjōstainaz "sharp stone, cornerstone";^[14] Orel writes *aʒja-stainaz.^[4]
• The name *Agiþewaz, with *þewaz "servant".^[15]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: egg (“corner, edge”)^[10]
• Old English: ecg (“corner, edge, sword”)^[6]
• Old Frisian: eg (“corner, edge, sword's edge, side”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: eggia (“corner, edge, sword”)^[16]
• Old High German: egga (“edge, point, corner, rim”)^[17]

References

1. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *agjō
2. ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 146
3. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *agjō
4. ^ a b c d e f g Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *aʒjō
5. ^ a b c d e f g Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 4
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. ėcg
7. ^ a b Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 112
8. ^ Fulk, R. D. (2018), A Comparative Grammar of the Early Germanic Languages, Studies in Germanic Linguistics 3, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins
9. ^ a b Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 1
10. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. egg 1
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. ekka
12. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. eg
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *agjōną
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *agjōstainaz
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *Agiþewaz
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. ėggia
17. ^ 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. egga, ecka