*fōlijan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the infinitive *fōlijan.^[1]

Etymology

According to EWA, the verb is inherited from Proto-Germanic *fōlijaną (“to feel”),^[2] which EWA writes *fōlijan-, Orel *fōljanan and Köbler *fōljan.^[2][3][4] Boutkan and Siebinga set up *fōljanaN and mark it as Proto-(West) Germanic.^[5] Wiktionary itself names no Proto-Germanic ancestor with certainty and gives *fōlijaną only as a possibility.^[1]

Morphology

A weak verb of class I.^[6][2]

Evidence

EWA notes that the verb has correspondences only in West Germanic.^[2] It is attested as Old English fēlan or fœ̄lan,^[7] Old Frisian fēla,^[8] and Old High German fuolen, which is found only in Otfrid and in glosses, the first about 800.^[2] Old Saxon has only the prefixed verb Old Saxon gifōlian, in the Heliand.^[2][9] Middle Dutch voelen continues it too.^[2][5]

Competing analyses

The further origin is unclear.^[5] Lidén and Falk set Old Norse falma (“to grope, to feel”) beside the verb with another ablaut grade, as EWA reports; if the Old Norse verb belongs here, EWA adds, its connection with the Gothic and Old Norse words for "fright" must be given up.^[2] Boutkan and Siebinga, following de Vries, find the link with Old Norse falma and with Latin palpor (“to stroke”) possible, but think a connection with the words for "palm of the hand" or "thumb" improbable.^[5] EWA likewise rejects Scardigli's connection of Old High German folma (“palm of the hand”) with *fōlijan-.^[10] Orel instead derives the verb from Proto-Germanic *fallanan "to fall", comparing phrases such as English "to fall in love", and lists Kluge and Seebold's comparison with Latin palpō (“to stroke, to touch”).^[3] Wiktionary takes it, with doubt, for a secondary causative of a strong verb *falaną.^[1]

Meanings

1. to feel^[1]

Old English also used the verb for "to perceive",^[7] Old Saxon for "to notice",^[9] and Old High German for "to touch", "to stroke" and "to flatter".^[2]

Reflexes

• Old English: fēlan (“to feel, to perceive”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: fēla (“to feel”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: only the prefixed gifōlian (“to feel, to perceive, to notice”)^[9]
• Old High German: fuolen (“to feel, to sense, to touch, to stroke”)^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fōlijan
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. fuolen
3. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 109
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *fōljan
5. ^ a b c d Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. fela 1
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *fōlian?
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fœ̄lan, fēlan
8. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. fēla
9. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gifōlian*
10. ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. folma