*gamainiz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *gamainiz in Ringe and Wiktionary^[1][2] and *gamaini-, *gamainiz, *gamainja-, *gamainjaz in Köbler;^[3] Orel heads it *mainiz and gives the prefixed form as *ʒa-mainiz.^[4]

Etymology

Wiktionary has it inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱom-moynis (“common”), made of *ga- and *mainiz, and related to Latin commūnis.^[2] Ringe likewise starts from a post-PIE *ko(m)moini-s "common", with a question mark, and asks why the word has *g-.^[5]

Morphology

An i-stem adjective;^[1] Ringe counts it among the compound i-stem adjectives, a type that may have been productive.^[1] Köbler also gives a ja-stem.^[3] Heidermanns notes that East and West Germanic attest it only with the prefix *ga-, and that within Germanic it has no base.^[6]

Evidence

The word is found in Gothic and West Germanic: Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gamains), Old English gemǣne, Old Frisian mēne, Old Saxon gimēni and Old High German gimeini.^[4] Heidermanns lists no Norse form.^[6] The Gothic word is in Wulfila's Bible, where it renders Greek Ancient Greek κοινός (koinós, “common”).^[7]

Competing analyses

Orel and Heidermanns both call the Germanic compound an exact match of Latin commūnis.^[4][6] Heidermanns takes it as an exocentric formation to a noun *moino- "exchange", so that "common" grew out of "what one takes in turns, what one shares";^[6] Latin immūnis is a separate formation to Latin mūnus (“service, duty”).^[6] Lehmann derives the group from PIE Proto-Indo-European *mey-, with a basic meaning "exchange", and compares Lithuanian mainas (“exchange, barter”).^[8]

Meanings

1. shared, communal, common^[2][3][1]
2. public; ordinary^[2]

Gothic also used the word for "unclean, profane",^[7][8] Old English for "bad, false",^[9] and Old Saxon for "usual".^[4]

Derivatives

• *gamainijaną "to share, to make public; to participate",^[10] continued in Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gamainjan) and Old High German gimeinen;^[4] Ringe reconstructs its present *gamainijanþi and participle *gamainidaz.^[5]
• A noun for "partaker, participant", Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌾𐌰 (gamainja), Bammesberger's *ga-main-ijan-;^[11] Orel writes *mainjōn.^[4]
• A noun for "community", Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌴𐌹 (gamainei), which Orel writes *mainīn.^[4]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gamains, “common, shared; unclean, profane”)^[7]
• Old English: gemǣne (“general, common, shared; bad, false”)^[9]
• Old Frisian: mēne (“general, common, whole, public, usual”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: gimēni (“common, general, whole, usual”)^[13]
• Old High German: gimeini (“common, shared, public, usual”)^[14]

References

1. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 315
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gamainiz
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *gamaini-
4. ^ a b c d e f g Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 255
5. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 190
6. ^ a b c d e Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. -maini-
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gamains
8. ^ 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. 171
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gemǣne
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gamainijaną
11. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 182
12. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. mēne
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gimêni
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gimein