*wegaz

Reconstruction

The word is *wegaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *weʒaz in Orel^[2] and the stem *wega- in Kroonen and Köbler.^[3][4] Bammesberger writes *weg-a-z,^[5] LÄGLOS *weǥa-z.^[6]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to move, to transport”):^[4][7] Kroonen, Orel and Wiktionary derive the noun from the strong verb *weganą "to move, to carry",^[3][2][1] which Kroonen traces to a PIE thematic present *ueǵh-e-, a verb associated with transport by cart.^[8]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem.^[3][2][4] Orel notes that the Old Norse word also inflects as a u-stem,^[2] and Köbler sets up an i-stem *wegiz and a u-stem *weguz beside it.^[9][10] Casaretto analyses it as an e-grade derivative of the verb, originally an action noun.^[11]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌲𐍃 (wigs) in Gothic, Old Norse vegr in Old Norse, and Old English weg, Old Frisian wei, Old Saxon weg and Old High German weg in West Germanic.^[3] The Gothic word occurs in Wulfila's Bible.^[12] Karsten explained the dialectal Finnish veko or veku "away, on and on, without stopping" as a loan from Proto-Germanic or Proto-Norse *weǥaR, but later revised his view, and LÄGLOS thinks a borrowing from Swedish more likely.^[6]

Competing analyses

Bammesberger accepts the traditional link with the verb, but suggests that the noun may continue an inherited s-stem of the root, PIE *weǵh-es-, reinterpreted as a masculine a-stem; a thematic derivative *weǵh-o- is in his view also possible.^[5] Wiktionary reports that Villanueva Svensson derives the noun more directly from an e-grade adjective meaning "ridden on".^[1]

Meanings

1. way, road^[3][4][1]
2. path^[1]

Old English also used the word for "journey" and "manner of acting",^[13] Old Frisian for "distance", "journey" and "manner",^[14] and Old High German for "street", "course" and "access".^[15]

Derivatives

• *harjawegaz "highway, warpath";^[16] Orel writes *xari-weʒaz.^[17]
• *weganestą "provisions for a journey"^[18] and *wegalausaz "roadless".^[19]
• Further compounds in Orel: *erþa-weʒaz "earth",^[20] *saiwi-weʒaz "sea-way"^[21] and *nurþa-weʒaz "way to the north", the source of the Old Norse name of Norway.^[22]
• *wegabraiþō, the plant plantain.^[23]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍅𐌹𐌲𐍃 (wigs, “way”)^[24]
• Old Norse: vegr (“way”)^[25]
• Old English: weg (“way, path, journey”)^[13]
• Old Frisian: wei (“way, distance, journey, manner”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: weg (“way, road”)^[26]
• Old Dutch: weg (“way”)^[4]
• Old High German: weg (“way, road, street”)^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wegaz
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 452
3. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 577
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wega-
5. ^ a b Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 61
6. ^ 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. 385
7. ^ 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. wigs
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 577–578
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wegi-
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wegu-
11. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. wigs
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wigs
13. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. weg
14. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. wei
15. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weg
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *harjawegaz
17. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 162
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *weganestą
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wegalausaz
20. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 86
21. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 314
22. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 289
23. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wegabraiþō
24. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. wigs
25. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. vegr
26. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weg