*sakaną

Reconstruction

The infinitive is *sakaną in Wiktionary,^[1] *sakanan in Orel^[2] and *sakan in Köbler;^[3] Kroonen cites the stem *sakan-,^[4] Seebold the root SAK-A-.^[5]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- (“to seek out”), through a pre-Germanic zero grade *sh₂g-;^[1] Kroonen reconstructs a thematic *sh₂g-e-.^[4] Seebold explains it as a zero-grade present to a base *sāg- "to scent, to track", given the lengthened-grade forms meaning "to seek".^[5]

Morphology

A strong verb of class VI.^[6][7] Kroonen relates it to the noun *sakō and the weak verb *sōkijaną "to seek", which looks like a causative but in his view is not one, given the e-grade of its Greek and Latin cognates and its meaning.^[4][8] Orel, on the other hand, calls *sōkjanan the factitive of *sakanan.^[9]

Evidence

The strong verb is attested in Gothic and West Germanic: Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌺𐌰𐌽 (sakan), Old English sacan, Old Frisian seka, Old Saxon sakan and Old High German sahhan.^[2] Wulfila uses it for "to quarrel" and "to scold", for instance at 2 Timothy 2:24 and Luke 19:39.^[7] Old Norse has only the weak verb Old Norse saka (“to fight, to do harm”), from *sakōjan-, beside the noun Old Norse sǫk (“lawsuit, accusation”).^[10] Mailhammer gives it an inexact Indo-European etymology.^[6] Finnish hakea (“to fetch, to seek, to sue”) was put by Koivulehto to an early Germanic *sāk(e)jan-,^[11] but Hofstra pointed out that a Germanic source with a, such as *sakan-, could also be considered.^[11]

Competing analyses

Kroonen thinks the original meaning was "to charge", as in Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (gasahts, “rebuke”) and Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐌷𐍄𐌰𐌱𐌰 (unsahtaba, “without controversy”), later "to make a case"; the cognates Latin sāgiō (“to perceive”) and Hittite šāgāi- (“omen”) point further back to "to read a sign or track", which through "to follow, to pursue" may have given the Germanic meaning.^[4] Kroonen also compares Old Irish saigid (“to try to reach, to claim”).^[4] Orel relates Hittite šak- (“to know”) and Ancient Greek ἡγέομαι (hēgéomai, “to lead the way”).^[2]

Meanings

1. to charge^[4][1]
2. to dispute, to quarrel^[1][3]
3. to seek; to threaten^[3]

Gothic used the verb for "to dispute, to reprimand", Old Saxon for "to rebuke" and Old High German for "to argue, to reprimand";^[4] Old English also for "to fight, to strive".^[2]

Derivatives

• *sakō "quarrel; charge, case, lawsuit; thing, matter".^[12][10]
• *sahtiz "reproach; agreement, reconciliation"^[13][14] and *sahtaz "having quarrelled".^[15]
• With prefixes: *andasakaną "to speak against, to refute"^[16] and *gasakaną "to argue; to reprove; to scold".^[17]
• In Orel: the weak verb *sakōjanan "to blame, to strive"^[18] and *sakōn "adversary".^[19]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍃𐌰𐌺𐌰𐌽 (sakan, “to quarrel, to scold”)^[20]
• Old Norse: no strong verb; the weak saka (“to fight, to do harm”)^[10]
• Old English: sacan (“to quarrel, to accuse, to blame, to claim”)^[21]
• Old Frisian: seka (“to fight”)^[22]
• Old Saxon: sakan (“to quarrel, to scold”)^[23]
• Old High German: sahhan (“to quarrel, to scold”)^[24]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *sakaną
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *sakanan
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *sakan
4. ^ a b c d e f g Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 423
5. ^ a b Seebold, Elmar (1970), Vergleichendes und etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen starken Verben, The Hague / Paris: Mouton, p. SAK-A-
6. ^ a b 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. 224
7. ^ 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. s.v. sakan
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 464
9. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *sōkjanan
10. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 424
11. ^ a b 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. 68
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *sakō
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *sahtiz
14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *saxtiz
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *sahtaz
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *andasakaną
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gasakaną
18. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *sakōjanan
19. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *sakōn
20. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. sakan
21. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. sacan
22. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. seka
23. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. sakan
24. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. sahhan