*markōną

Reconstruction

The verb is *markōną in Wiktionary,^[1] *markōn in Köbler,^[2] *markōjanan in Orel^[3] and *markōjan- in Kroonen;^[4] EWA writes *markōi̯e/a-.^[5]

Etymology

It is formed from Proto-Germanic *marką + *-ōną, "mark, sign".^[1] Kroonen derives the noun from *morg-o-,^[4] and Köbler compares PIE Proto-Indo-European *mereǵ- (“edge, border”).^[2]

Morphology

A weak verb of class II, denominal.^[2][5] EWA allows it to be formed from either *marka- "sign" or *markō "border".^[5] Beside it Kroonen sets the jan-verb *markjan-, continued in Old Norse merkja (“to notify, to denote”) and Old High German merken (“to become aware of”);^[4] Orel writes that one *markjanan.^[6]

Evidence

The verb is attested in North and West Germanic: Old Norse marka, Old English mearcian, Old Frisian merkia, Old Saxon markon and Old High German markōn.^[4][5] Gothic has only the compound Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌺𐍉𐌽 (gamarkon, “to border on”), at Galatians 4:25.^[7][8] Holthausen takes Italian marcare and the other Romance verbs from a Gothic *markōn.^[9]

Meanings

1. to mark, to designate^[2][4][1]
2. to notice^[1]

Old Norse also used the verb for "to wound, to paint, to understand",^[10] Old English and Old High German for "to set bounds to, to determine",^[11][5] and Old Saxon for "to arrange, to notice".^[12]

Reflexes

• Gothic: only 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌺𐍉𐌽 (gamarkon, “to border on”)^[7]
• Old Norse: marka (“to mark, to wound, to paint, to make known”)^[10]
• Old English: mearcian (“to set bounds to, to determine”)^[11]
• Old Frisian: merkia (“to record”)^[13]
• Old Saxon: markon (“to determine, to arrange, to notice”)^[12]
• Old High German: markōn (“to bound, to determine, to mark, to record”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *markōną
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *markōn
3. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *markōjanan
4. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 355
5. ^ a b c d e f 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. markôn
6. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *markjanan
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gamarkōn
8. ^ 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. s.v. marka
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *markōn
10. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. marka
11. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. mearcian
12. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. markon
13. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. merkia