*ligjaną

Reconstruction

The infinitive is *ligjaną in Wiktionary and Ringe,^[1][2] *ligjan and *legjan in Köbler,^[3] *leʒjanan in Orel^[4] and *leg(j)an- in Kroonen.^[5] Seebold heads it LEG-JA-,^[6] Mailhammer +legja-.^[7]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *légʰyeti (“lies down”), a present to Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie”).^[1] Ringe likewise derives it from the inherited PIE *-ye/o--present *léghyo- "lie down",^[2] and Kroonen from a ye-present to the same root.^[5]

Morphology

A strong verb of class V with a j-present.^[7][6] Mailhammer counts it among the strong verbs with an accepted Indo-European etymology.^[7] Ringe explains the *i of the root as a raising of *e before the j, which is why the present has *i throughout, while *weganą keeps its *e;^[8] he lists it among the strong j-presents whose endings show the voiced Verner's-law alternants.^[9] In West Germanic the gemination caused by the j is limited to the present, which inflects like a weak verb of the first class.^[10]

Evidence

The verb is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (ligan), Old Norse liggja, Old English licgan, Old Frisian lidza, Old Saxon liggian and Old High German liggen.^[4][5] Gothic has no j-present, only a simple thematic verb,^[11][6] which Ringe takes as a remodeling based on the present third person singular in *-iþi.^[12] Old High German has ligan beside the j-present.^[11] De Vries cites a Norwegian runic ligi, a third person singular present optative, on the Strøm whetstone of 600–650.^[13] Outside Germanic, Kroonen compares Old Irish laigid (“to lay, to lie down”) and Latin lectus (“bed, couch”),^[5] and Orel also Tocharian B lyäk-.^[4]

Meanings

1. to lie^[5][3][9]
2. to rest on a surface; of a road, to lead^[1]

Old Norse also used the verb for "to lie fallow" and "to extend",^[6] Old English for "to remain", "to extend" and "to flow",^[14] and Old Frisian for "to lie buried" and "to own land".^[15]

Derivatives

• *lagjaną "to lay", the causative.^[16][17] Orel writes it *laʒjanan.^[18]
• *lagą "situation, law",^[19] in Orel *laʒan "layer, shape".^[18]
• *lēgaz "low, flat", a vṛddhi gerundive;^[20] Kroonen sets it up as a lengthened-grade u-stem *lēgu-,^[5] Orel as *lēʒaz.^[21]
• *lēgiz "lying, able to lie down",^[22] Orel's *lēʒiz.^[21]
• *legraz "lying with someone";^[23] Orel's neuter *leʒran "bed, lair" is also derived from the verb.^[4]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (ligan, “to lie”)^[11]
• Old Norse: liggja (“to lie”)^[13]
• Old English: licgan (“to lie, to rest, to remain”)^[14]
• Old Frisian: lidza (“to lie, to stay, to be situated”)^[15]
• Old Saxon: liggian (“to lie, to be situated, to be laid up”)^[24]
• Old High German: liggen (“to lie”)^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *ligjaną
2. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 164
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *ligjan
4. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 240
5. ^ a b c d e f Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 330
6. ^ a b c d Seebold, Elmar (1970), Vergleichendes und etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen starken Verben, The Hague / Paris: Mouton, p. LEG-JA-
7. ^ a b c 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. 222
8. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 249
9. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 207
10. ^ 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. liggen
11. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. ligan
12. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 252
13. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. liggja
14. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. licgan
15. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. lidza
16. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 322
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *lagjaną
18. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 231
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *lagą
20. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *lēgaz
21. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 244
22. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *lēgiz
23. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *legraz
24. ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. liggian