*wīsijaną

Reconstruction

The verb is *wīsijaną in Wiktionary^[1] and *wīsijan- in LÄGLOS, from an older *weisijan-;^[2] Orel writes *wīsjanan,^[3] Köbler *weisjan and *wīsjan.^[4]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Germanic *wīsaz (“wise”).^[3][1] Orel derives that adjective from *u̯eid-s-o-, built on the s-stem of PIE *u̯eid- "to know".^[5]

Morphology

A weak verb of the first class,^[6][7] formed to the adjective with the suffix *-janą.^[1]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Gothic in the compound 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (fullaweisjan, “to persuade”),^[8][3] and in West Germanic: Old Frisian wīsa, Old Saxon wīsian and Old High German wīsen.^[3] LÄGLOS also compares Old Norse vísa (“to show”).^[2] The Finnish vihjata (“to give a hint”) is a loan from it, as Koivulehto explained.^[2]

Competing analyses

Köbler sets the Old Norse and Old English verbs Old Norse vísa and Old English wīsian under a separate second-class verb *wīsōn "to show",^[9][10] while Feist and LÄGLOS list them with the first-class verb.^[8][2]

Meanings

1. to show^[4]
2. to make wise, to make knowing; to show, to instruct^[1]

Old Frisian also used the verb for "to prescribe" and "to judge",^[11] and Old High German for "to lead" and "to invite".^[12]

Derivatives

• *wīsōn "guide, leader", which Orel puts beside the verb.^[13]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (fullaweisjan, “to persuade, to convince”)^[8]
• Old Norse: vísa (“to show”), as compared by LÄGLOS^[2]
• Old English: wīsian (“to show, to guide”), in Feist's cognate list^[8]
• Old Frisian: wīsa (“to show, to prescribe, to teach”)^[11]
• Old Saxon: wīsian (“to show, to proclaim, to teach”)^[6]
• Old High German: wīsen (“to show, to lead, to invite”)^[12]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wīsijaną
2. ^ a b c d e 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. 396
3. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *wīsjanan
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wīsjan
5. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *wīsaz
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wīsian
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wīsa
8. ^ a b c d Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 110
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. vīsa
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wīsian
11. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. wīsa
12. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wīsen
13. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *wīsōn I