*marką

Reconstruction

The word is *marką in Wiktionary,^[1] *markan in Orel,^[2] and the stem *marka- in Kroonen and Köbler, who also gives *markam.^[3][4]

Etymology

Köbler has it from Proto-Indo-European *mereg̑- (“edge, border”).^[4] Wiktionary takes it from a pre-Germanic *morg-o-, perhaps related to *markō "border, edge".^[1]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[3][2][4] It is distinct from the feminine ō-stem *markō "boundary, region", which Kroonen heads separately on the same page.^[3]

Evidence

The word is attested only in North and West Germanic: Old Norse mark (“mark, sign; matter of importance”), Old English mearc (“sign, mark”) and Middle Dutch marc (“mark, trademark”) in Kroonen's list,^[3] with Old Frisian merke, Middle Low German mark and Old High German marc, all "mark", in Orel's.^[2] No Gothic form is cited by Kroonen, Orel or Wiktionary.^[3][2][1] The Old High German neuter is recorded in glosses from the 9th century.^[5]

Competing analyses

Kroonen considers the word possibly related to *markō "boundary",^[3] which he calls an old Indo-European term for a territorial delimitation, perhaps derived from the verb behind a Hittite word for "to divide, to separate".^[3] Orel relates the neuter itself to Latin margō (“edge, border”) and Old Irish mruig (“district”).^[2] Wiktionary lists among its descendants the words for the weight and coin "mark", such as Old Norse mǫrk, Old Saxon mark and Proto-Finnic *markka.^[1] EWA instead derives that unit, Old High German marc, from a feminine *mark-,^[6] and LÄGLOS takes Finnish markka from *markō or *mark-z.^[7]

Meanings

1. sign, mark^[3][4]
2. mark, sign, stamp^[1]

Old Norse also used the word for "a matter of importance",^[3] and Old High German for "boundary line", "goal" and "pledge".^[5]

Derivatives

• *markōną "to mark, to notice",^[8] Kroonen's *markōjan- and Orel's *markōjanan, which Orel derives from this noun.^[3][9]
• *markijaną "to mark, to perceive",^[10] Kroonen's *markjan- "to notify, to become aware of", and Orel's *markjanan.^[3][11]
• *markjan "mark, landmark", Orel's neuter behind Old Norse merki and Old High German gimarki.^[12]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: mark (“sign, mark”)^[13]
• Old English: mearc (“mark, sign”)^[14]
• Old Frisian: merke (“mark”), as Orel lists it^[2]
• Old High German: mark (“sign, marking, boundary line”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *marką
2. ^ a b c d e f Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *markan
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 355
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *marka-
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. mark 3
6. ^ 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. marc
7. ^ 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
8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *markōną
9. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *markōjanan
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *markijaną
11. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *markjanan
12. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *markjan
13. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. mark
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. mearc 2