*ga-

Reconstruction

A prefix *ga- in Köbler and Wiktionary;^[1][2] Kroonen writes *ga(n)-.^[3]

Etymology

Kroonen derives it from PIE *kom-, comparing Latin com- and Latin con-;^[3] Wiktionary has it inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“with”).^[2]

Morphology

An unstressed prefix of verbs and nouns.^[4] Its g instead of the expected h is explained by Verner's law operating at the beginning of the word: the prefix stood in clitic position and had no stress.^[3] Wiktionary allows this explanation or influence from PIE *gʰo-.^[2]

Evidence

The prefix is common in Gothic and West Germanic: Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-), Old English ge-, Old Frisian ge-, Old Saxon gi- and Old High German gi-.^[3][1] Old Norse has only traces of it, fused with the following word: Old Norse granni (“neighbour”) beside Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌶𐌽𐌰 (garazna).^[5]

Competing analyses

Feist accepted that Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-) matches Latin and Old Irish com- in use, but held that a sound relationship had not been proven, and found most attractive the comparison with Old Armenian զ- (z-, “around, at”) and Old Church Slavonic за (za, “behind”), after Meillet and Wiedemann.^[6] Holthausen called it of unknown origin.^[5] Kroonen sees the prefix inside some verbs: he derives *nemaną "to take", following Kortlandt, from *h₁em- with an n taken over from *gan-,^[7] and considers deriving the stem *gai- of "to go" from *ga- and *-ī- from PIE Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey-.^[8]

Meanings

1. together, with; co-^[1][2]
2. marking completed action: a perfective prefix^[1][3][2]

Lehmann thinks that the old sense "together with" underlies the many collective nouns with the prefix, especially in Old High German, such as Old High German giwitari (“storm”) beside Old High German wetar (“weather”).^[9]

Derivatives

• *galīkaz "alike", with *-līkaz.^[10]
• *gamainiz "shared, common", from PIE *ḱom-moynis like Latin commūnis.^[11]
• *gaberaną "to give birth", from *beraną.^[12]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰- (ga-)^[6]
• Old Norse: g-, fused in a few words^[5][2]
• Old English: ge-^[5]
• Old Frisian: ge-^[13]
• Old Saxon: gi-^[14]
• Old High German: gi-^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *ga-
2. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *ga-
3. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. xxix
4. ^ 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. gi-
5. ^ a b c d Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. ge-
6. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. *ga-
7. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *nemaną
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 174
9. ^ Lehmann, Winfred P. (2005–2007), A Grammar of Proto-Germanic, ed. Jonathan Slocum, online, Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, p. § 4.2.2
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *galīkaz
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gamainiz
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *beraną
13. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. ge-
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gi