*strīkaną

Reconstruction

The infinitive is *strīkaną in Wiktionary.^[1] The typed text of Kroonen heads the stem *strikan-;^[2] Orel writes *strīk(w)anan,^[3] and Köbler gives *streikan, *strīkan, *streikwan and *strīkwan.^[4]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“to stroke, rub, press”):^[1] Kroonen derives it from a European present *stréig-e-.^[2]

Morphology

A strong verb of class I.^[5][6] De Vries thought the Old Norse forms might rather point to a Germanic *strikwjan, since the skaldic participle Old Norse strykvinn points to a strong verb;^[7] Orel's and Köbler's variants with a labiovelar allow for these forms.^[3][4]

Evidence

The verb is attested in North and West Germanic: Old Norse strýkva and Old Norse strýkja, and Old English strīcan, Old Frisian strīka, Old Saxon strīkan and Old High German strīhhan.^[3][1] Gothic has only the noun Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃 (striks, “streak”), which Kroonen places under this verb.^[2] The Old High German verb is recorded from the late 8th century, in glosses.^[6] Outside Germanic, Kroonen compares the Slavic verbs for "to cut" and Latin stringō (“to skim, scratch”);^[2] Orel also connects the Latin verb, which he glosses "to stroke, to touch", and Proto-Slavic *strigti (“to cut hair, to shear”).^[3]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary keeps *streukaną "to stroke" apart as apparently unrelated, despite the similar sound and sense;^[1] de Vries, on the other hand, considered PIE *streig- and *streug- side by side in Old Norse.^[7] Köbler also mentions the root *ster- "to spread".^[4]

Meanings

1. to stroke^[2][4]
2. to rub^[1]
3. to touch^[4]

Old English also used the verb for "to wipe" and for "to move, to go",^[8] Old Norse for "to flog, to punish",^[3] and Old High German for "to smear" and "to massage".^[6][3]

Derivatives

• *strikô "stroke, line".^[9] Kroonen thinks the variation between Old Saxon strikko (“stripe”) and Old English strica (“stripe, region”) could point to an n-stem *strikō, genitive *strikkaz.^[2]
• *striki- "stroke", in Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃 (striks), Old Norse strik (“strip”) and Old High German strih, and *straika- "stroke, prank", in Middle High German streich, after Kroonen.^[2]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: strýkja (“to stroke”)^[7]
• Old English: strīcan (“to stroke, rub, wipe; to go”)^[8]
• Old Frisian: strīka (“to stroke”)^[10]
• Old Saxon: strīkan, in Wiktionary's list^[1]
• Old High German: strīhhan (“to stroke, to rub, to massage”)^[6]
• Gothic: no form of the verb is attested, only Köbler's reconstructed *streikan^[11][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *strīkaną
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 485
3. ^ a b c d e f Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 382
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *streikan
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. strīcan
6. ^ a b c d 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. strîchan
7. ^ a b c de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 554
8. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. strīcan
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *strikô
10. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. strīka
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *streikan