*taikną

Reconstruction

The word is *taikną in Wiktionary,^[1] *taiknan in Orel,^[2] and the stem *taikna- in Kroonen and Köbler.^[3][4] Bammesberger segments it *taik-na-.^[5]

Etymology

Wiktionary has it from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, to point out”), through the root of *taikijaną,^[1] and Köbler also refers it to that PIE root.^[4]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[3][4] Kroonen calls it a nominal derivative from the geminated root *taik(k)-, the root of *taikjan- "to show".^[3] Bammesberger puts it among the a-stems in *-na- formed to a verbal root.^[5] Beside it stood an i-stem *taikni-, the source of the Gothic feminine 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽𐍃 (taikns);^[3][6] Kroonen cites the pair as an example of a ni-suffix alongside a na-suffix.^[7]

Evidence

The neuter is attested in North and West Germanic: Old Norse teikn, Old English tācn, Old Frisian tēken, Old Saxon tēkan and Old High German zeihhan.^[3][2] Gothic has the i-stem Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽𐍃 (taikns), and a neuter Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽 (taikn) only once, at 2 Thessalonians 1:5;^[8] Bammesberger notes that this single form could in theory be the accusative singular of the i-stem.^[5] Finnish taika (“magic, omen”) is a Germanic loan, which LÄGLOS derives from *taikna-, Proto-Norse *taikna, or possibly from a form without the n, like the one behind Old English tǣcan (“to teach”).^[9] De Vries also lists the Finnish word as a borrowing of the Norse one.^[10]

Competing analyses

Bammesberger finds no clear connection, although the root *teih- of Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 (gateihan, “to announce”) lies near: the link would require a variant *deyg- of the PIE root *deyk-, or, with Lühr, a preform *doyk-n- giving *taik(k)-.^[5] Feist took the family from such a variant *deig-, which he also saw, probably, in Latin digitus (“finger”).^[8] Kroonen instead starts from the geminated root of *taikjan- and the iterative *taik/gōn-, beside the strong verb *tihan- to the PIE root *deik-.^[11][12] Orel calls the word a phonetically irregular derivative of *tīxanan, after Noreen.^[2]

Meanings

1. sign, token^[3][4]
2. mark, indication, symbol^[1]

Old English also used the word for "miracle", "proof" and "banner",^[13] and Old High German for "image", "miracle" and "constellation".^[14]

Derivatives

• *taiknōną "to show, to point, to mark", Kroonen's *taiknōjan- and Orel's *taiknōjanan.^[15][3][16]
• *taiknijaną "to show, to point", Orel's *taiknjanan.^[17][18]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽 (taikn, “sign”), once, beside 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽𐍃 (taikns, “sign, miracle”)^[8][19]
• Old Norse: teikn (“sign”)^[10]
• Old English: tācen (“sign, miracle, proof, banner”)^[13]
• Old Frisian: tēken (“sign”)^[20]
• Old Saxon: tēkan (“sign, mark”)^[21]
• Old Dutch: teikan (“sign”)^[4]
• Old High German: zeihhan (“sign, image, miracle”)^[14]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *taikną
2. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *taiknan
3. ^ 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. 506
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *taikna-
5. ^ a b c d Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 72
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *taikni-
7. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 323
8. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. taikns
9. ^ 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. 263
10. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. teikn
11. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 505
12. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 517
13. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. tācen
14. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. zeihhan
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *taiknōną
16. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *taiknōjanan
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *taiknijaną
18. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *taiknjanan
19. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. taikns
20. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. tēken
21. ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. TEKAN