*opan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *opan for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *upanaz (“open”),^[2][3] which Orel writes *upanaz, Köbler *upena-, *upana-, and EWA *upana-.^[2][4][3]

Morphology

An adjective.^[5][3] EWA finds that it looks like a verbal adjective, with the suffix *-ana- or *-ena-, a passive sense and predicative use, but that no strong verb belonging to it can be found; it therefore connects it with *uppa or *uppē "up, upwards", the sense passing from "lying on top" to "open".^[3] Orel likewise derives it from *uppa with the suffix of the strong past participle,^[2] and Berr calls it a past participle "opened".^[6]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in Old English open,^[7] Old Frisian epen, also open,^[8] Old Saxon opan^[6] and Old High German offan, the last from the Abrogans on.^[3] In Old Dutch, ONW records ophan in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of 1100,^[9] and EWA counts it as a single record of about 1100.^[3]

Competing analyses

Boutkan and Siebinga derive open from *upana-, like the other West Germanic words, but epen, like Old Swedish ypin, from *upina-, which agrees with the past participles of these dialects.^[10] EWA also takes epen for a different formation, from *upena-, and the Old Frisian forms with o for borrowings from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch; it holds that the form in *-ena- arose only through a secondary link with the verbal adjectives.^[3] Szemerényi's derivation from an adverb *upa-nē "from above" is rejected by EWA, because no such adverb is attested,^[3] and Boutkan and Siebinga object that it leaves epen and ypin unexplained.^[10]

Meanings

1. open^[1]

Old Saxon also used the adjective for "clear" and "sincere",^[5] Old High German for "evident", "clear" and "public",^[3] and Old Frisian for "not held in common, free", for a lawsuit not yet decided, for "public", and as a noun for an open wound.^[8]

Derivatives

• *opanōn "to open", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[11] Orel derives the Proto-Germanic weak verb *upanōjanan from the adjective, with Old English openian, Old Frisian epenia, Old Saxon opanon and Old High German offanōn.^[2]
• *opanbārī "evident, public", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[12] EWA lists Old High German offanbâri (“evident, public”), from the 10th century, with its Middle Low German, Middle Dutch and Old Frisian counterparts.^[3]

Reflexes

• Old English: open (“open, evident, clear”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: epen (“open, free, public”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: opan (“open, clear, sincere”)^[5]
• Old Dutch: ophan (“open, accessible”)^[9][3]
• Old High German: offan (“open, evident, clear, public”)^[3]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *opan
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 435
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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. offan
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *upena-
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. opan
6. ^ a b Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 314
7. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. open
8. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. epen
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. opan
10. ^ a b Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. epen
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *opanōn
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *opanbārī