*wagnaz

Reconstruction

The word is *wagnaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *waʒnaz in Orel,^[2] and the stem *wagna- in Kroonen and Köbler.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to transport”): Kroonen calls it a no-stem derived from the root of *weganą "to move, to carry",^[3] and Wiktionary gives a PIE *wóǵʰnos.^[1]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem,^[4] formed with the suffix *-no- on the o-grade of the root.^[3][5] Orel derives it from *weʒanan or directly from *waʒōn.^[2]

Evidence

The word is attested in Crimean Gothic, as waghen "currus",^[6] and in North and West Germanic: Old Norse vagn, Old English wægn, Old Frisian wein and Old High German wagan.^[3][2] The only exact match outside Germanic in formation is Celtic: Old Irish fén (“a kind of vehicle”) and Welsh gwain, from *ueghno-,^[7] and Lehmann notes that the Irish word has the e-grade, against the o-grade of Germanic.^[7][5] Without the n-suffix, Feist compares the Greek and Old Church Slavonic words for a wagon.^[6]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary lists Proto-Finnic *vatnas among the descendants.^[1] LÄGLOS treats Finnish vannas (“ploughshare”) under a Germanic *waǥnasan- "ploughshare", notes that Karsten derived it from Germanic *wagnaz- or *wagniz-, and leaves open a Baltic origin.^[8]

Meanings

1. wagon, cart^[3][1][4]

Old Norse also used the word for a sledge,^[7] and Old Saxon and Old High German also for the constellation of the Plough or Great Bear.^[9][10]

Reflexes

• Crimean Gothic: waghen "currus, wagon"^[6]
• Old Norse: vagn (“wagon, sledge”)^[7]
• Old English: wægn (“wagon, cart”)^[11]
• Old Frisian: wein (“wagon”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: wagan (“wagon; the Plough”)^[9]
• Old High German: wagan (“wagon, cart; the Great Bear”)^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wagnaz
2. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 439
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. 565
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wagna-
5. ^ 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. 415
6. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 321
7. ^ a b c d de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 639
8. ^ 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. 368
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wagan
10. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wagan
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wægn
12. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. wein