*fragetan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *fragetan.^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Proto-West Germanic *fra- + *getan.^[1] Köbler sets up a Germanic strong verb Proto-Germanic *fargetan (“to forget”), from *far- and *getan, with reflexes in Old English, Old Frisian, Old Dutch, Old Saxon and Old High German.^[2] Kroonen lists the verbs for "to forget" under Proto-Germanic *getan- (“to find (a way), to be able”).^[3]

Morphology

A strong verb of class V.^[4][5][6] Old Frisian has the prefix ur- beside for-.^[7][8]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English forġietan, Old Frisian forjeta, Old Saxon fargetan, Old Dutch fargetan and Old High German firgezzan.^[2] Old Saxon has it in the Heliand and in the Genesis fragment.^[4] The oldest Old Dutch record, ⟨fargetin⟩, is in the Old Low Franconian psalms of the 10th century; later ones are in Williram's commentary of about 1100 and the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible.^[9] In Old High German it is recorded in Notker, about 1000.^[6]

Meanings

1. to forget^[1][2]

Wiktionary also glosses it "to lose hold of", taking "to forget" as losing hold of something in the mind.^[1]

Derivatives

• *fragattjan "to make forget; to comfort, to console", which Wiktionary takes for a causative inherited from Proto-Germanic *fragatjaną;^[10] Wiktionary gives its Old Saxon, Old Dutch and Old High German forms only as reconstructions.^[10]
• *fragetul "forgetful", which Wiktionary forms from *fragetan and *-ul, with Old English forġitel.^[11]

Reflexes

• Old English: forġietan (“to forget”)^[5]
• Old Frisian: urjeta (“to forget”), forjeta^[12]
• Old Saxon: fargetan (“to forget”)^[4]
• Old Dutch: fargetan (“to forget”)^[9]
• Old High German: firgezzan (“to forget”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fragetan
2. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *fargetan
3. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 175
4. ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. fargetan
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. forgietan
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. firgezzan
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. forjeta
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. urjeta
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. fargetan
10. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fragattjan
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fragetul
12. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. urjeta