Etymology and origin of the Proto-Germanic word *draganą
- Confidence
- Established
- From
- Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ-
Etymology tree
From the same root
Reconstruction
The infinitive is *draganą in Wiktionary,[1] *đraʒanan in Orel[2] and *dragan in Köbler.[3] Kroonen cites the verb by its stem *dragan-,[4] Seebold as DRAG-A-.[5]
Etymology
Wiktionary has it from Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- (“to pull, draw, drag”), the traditional derivation, through a PIE *dʰrógʰ-e-ti, and notes that Kroonen leaves the origin open.[1] Kroonen sets up *dʰrógʰ-e- but finds no clear etymology.[4]
Morphology
A strong verb of class VI.[6][7] Kroonen calls it an o-grade intensive verb.[4] Mailhammer puts it among the strong verbs with an inexact Indo-European etymology.[6]
Evidence
The verb is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (dragan), Old Norse draga, Old English dragan, Old Frisian draga, Old Saxon dragan and Old High German tragan.[2] The Gothic simplex occurs only once, at 2 Timothy 4:3 in Codex B, where Codex A has Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gadragan).[8][7] Old Norse and Old English use it for "to pull, to drag", while Old Frisian, Old Saxon and Old High German use it for "to carry".[9] LÄGLOS connects Karelian rahe (“winter dragnet”) with a Proto-Germanic *draǥan-, Proto-Norse *draǥan, comparing Old Norse draga (“to pull, to drag”).[10]
Competing analyses
Kroonen rejects the usual comparisons.[4] In his view Ancient Greek τρέχω (trékhō, “to run”) more likely belongs with *þragjan- "to run".[4] The Russian word for "road, journey" and a Serbo-Croatian word for "valley" have a root ending in a voiced stop and so cannot be related either.[4] And Latin trahō (“to pull, to haul”) is impossible because of its initial t.[4] Orel instead equates the verb with Albanian dredh (“to turn, to rotate”), from a Proto-Albanian *dradza, and compares an Armenian verb "to turn";[2] he lists the older comparisons with Latin, with Slavic *dorga "road" and with Greek "to run".[2] Feist compared Avestan and Old Church Slavonic verbs meaning "to hold fast".[8] Holthausen connected Norwegian dorg (“fishing line”) and the Russian word for "road".[9]
Meanings
Gothic used the verb for "to load on, to accumulate",[7] Old English also for "to draw out" and "to go",[9] Old Saxon for "to carry, to bring".[4]
Derivatives
- *drahtu- "pull", a tu-stem, remodelled as a ti-stem in West Germanic;[4] Wiktionary has *drahtuz "pulling, carrying", Orel *đraxtuz.[11][12]
- *drōgiz "drawing, able to be drawn", a vṛddhi gerundive.[13]
- *druggōn- "to pull, drag", an iterative,[14] and, in all likelihood, the North Germanic *drēkō- "streak".[15] Kroonen asks whether *durgō- "fishing-line" is related.[16]
- Nouns that Orel derives from the verb: *đraʒilaz, behind Old High German tregil (“bearer”), *đraʒōn and *đraʒan.[17][18][19]
- With prefixes: *fradraganą "to draw away; to endure" and *gadraganą "to draw together, to accumulate".[20][21]
Reflexes
- Gothic: 𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (dragan, “to carry, to load on”)[8]
- Old Norse: draga (“to pull, to entice, to travel, to draw breath”)[22]
- Old English: dragan (“to pull, to drag, to draw out; to go”)[9]
- Old Frisian: drega (“to carry, to bring in, to amount to, to endure”)[23]
- Old Saxon: dragan (“to carry, to bring, to serve, to bear”)[24]
- Old High German: tragan (“to carry, to bear, to bring, to have”)[25]
References
- ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *draganą
- ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *đraʒanan
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *dragan
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 99
- ^ Seebold, Elmar (1970), Vergleichendes und etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen starken Verben, The Hague / Paris: Mouton, p. DRAG-A-
- ^ 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. 223
- ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. dragan
- ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. dragan
- ^ a b c d Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. dragan
- ^ 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. 102
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *drahtuz
- ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *đraxtuz
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *drōgiz
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 104
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 101
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 110
- ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *đraʒilaz
- ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *đraʒōn
- ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *đraʒan
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fradraganą
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gadraganą
- ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. draga
- ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. drega
- ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. dragan
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. tragan
Related etymologies
- *stainaz · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *beraną · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *fadēr · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *watōr · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *ga- · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *frijaz · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *fallaną · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *standaną · also from Proto-Indo-European
Cite this entry
“*draganą.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gem-pro/*dragan%C4%85. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.
Last edited on . ·