*markō

Reconstruction

The word is *markō in Orel and Wiktionary,^[1][2] the stem *markō- in Kroonen and Schaffner,^[3][4] and *mark, *markō in Köbler.^[5]

Etymology

Wiktionary has it inherited from Proto-Indo-European *mórǵs (“edge, boundary, border”), possibly from *merǵ- "to divide".^[2] Kroonen calls it an old Indo-European term for a territorial boundary.^[3]

Morphology

A feminine ō-stem.^[3][5] Schaffner takes it as a thematised form beside a root noun *mark- that survives in Old Norse mǫrk.^[4] EWA finds the Old Norse paradigm hard to class, as it mixes consonant-stem, ō-stem and i-stem forms;^[6] Orel calls the Old Norse word an i-stem and root stem.^[1]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌺𐌰 (marka), Old Norse mǫrk, and Old English mearc, Old Frisian merke, Old Saxon marka and Old High German marka in West Germanic.^[3] EWA adds a Langobardic word for "border, border region" and finds the West and East Germanic forms continuing *markō-.^[6] A compound is recorded early in runes: Antonsen reads a word for "foreigner", with a second member *mark-i-z, on the Kårstad cliff inscription in Norway, dated after 400 AD;^[7] Wiktionary gives it as Proto-Norse ᚨᛚᛃᚨᛗᚨᚱᚲᛁᛉ (aljamarkiʀ).^[8] The Finnish markka "mark" (the money and weight) is a loan from *markō or from *mark-z.^[9] Outside Germanic, Antonsen compares Latin margō (“border”) and Old Irish mruig (“borderland”).^[7]

Competing analyses

Kroonen thinks it possible that the word was derived from the verb behind Hittite mārki (“to divide, to separate”), following Kloekhorst.^[3] Köbler gives a root *mereǵ- "edge, border".^[5] Kroonen connects the neuter *marka- "sign", from *morg-o-, only as possibly related.^[3] Feist explained the Old Norse sense "forest" by forests often forming the borders between tribes.^[10]

Meanings

1. boundary, border^[3][1][2]
2. region, area^[3][2]

In Old Norse the word means "forest",^[3] and the same word also names the weight of half a pound of silver;^[11] Orel derives this *markō "mark, half-pound of silver" from the word for "border".^[1]

Derivatives

• *markalandą "borderland",^[12] *aljamarkiz "foreign"^[8] and *markōmann-, a member of the Marcomanni.^[13]
• In Orel, *đani-markō "Denmark".^[14]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌺𐌰 (marka, “mark, border”)^[10]
• Old Norse: mǫrk (“forest”)^[11]
• Old English: mearc (“border, end, district”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: merke (“border, region”)^[16]
• Old Saxon: marka (“border, region”)^[17]
• Old High German: marka (“border, region, land, sign”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 262
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *markō
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 355
4. ^ a b Schaffner, Stefan (2001), Das Vernersche Gesetz und der innerparadigmatische grammatische Wechsel des Urgermanischen im Nominalbereich, Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft 103, Innsbruck, p. 396
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *markō
6. ^ a b c 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. marka
7. ^ a b Antonsen, Elmer H. (1975), A Concise Grammar of the Older Runic Inscriptions, Sprachstrukturen A 3, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. Karstad
8. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *aljamarkiz
9. ^ 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. 251
10. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. marka
11. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. mǫrk
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *markalandą
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *markōmann-
14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 68
15. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. mearc
16. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. merke
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. marka