*bigrīpan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *bigrīpan "to grasp, to apprehend; to understand, to comprehend" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Proto-Germanic *bi + *grīpaną (“to grab, to grasp”): Wiktionary derives it from the prefix *bi- and *grīpan,^[1] and Köbler analyses it as *bi with *greipan.^[2]

Morphology

A strong verb of class I.^[3][4][5]

Evidence

The verb is recorded in Old English begrīpan, Old Frisian bigrīpa, Old Dutch bigrīpan and Old High German bigrīfan.^[3][6][5][7] ONW has the Old Dutch verb only as the past participle begriphan "included" in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of 1100.^[5] Köbler names reflexes in Old English, Old Frisian and Old High German only, none in Old Saxon.^[2]

Competing analyses

Köbler sets up the prefixed verb already for Proto-Germanic, as *bigreipan "to attack, to comprehend".^[2] Wiktionary instead takes it for a West Germanic formation from *bi- and *grīpan, and names no Proto-Germanic compound.^[1]

Meanings

1. to grasp, to apprehend^[1]
2. to understand, to comprehend^[1][2]

In Old Frisian law the verb also meant "to determine, to decide", "to contain" (of a document), "to be competent for" and "to catch in the act".^[6][8] Old High German also used it for "to take possession of" and "to understand".^[7]

Reflexes

• Old English: begrīpan (“to grasp, to seize, to take hold of”)^[3]
• Old Frisian: bigrīpa (“to determine, to embrace, to contain, to seize”)^[6]
• Old Dutch: bigrīpan (“to include”)^[5]
• Old High German: bigrīfan (“to grasp, to seize, to comprise, to understand”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bigrīpan
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *bigreipan
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. begrīpan
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bigrīpa
5. ^ a b c d Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. bigrīpan
6. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bigrīpa
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bigrīfan
8. ^ Bremmer, Rolf H., Jr. (2009), An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins, p. 190