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*skappjan

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-West Germanic word *skappjan

*skappjan1 to make, to create

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Proto-Germanic *skapjaną

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *skappjan for Proto-West Germanic, and Wiktionary has the same form.[1][2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *skapjaną (“to make, to create”),[3] which Kroonen cites as *skap(j)an- and Orel as *skapjanan.[4][5] It is one of Ringe and Taylor's typical examples of West Germanic gemination before *j: *[skappjan], still */skapjan/ in the underlying form, since gemination was at first only a rule of pronunciation.[3] In Old English it then became *skæppjan, *sċæppjan, *sċeappjan and West Saxon sċieppan.[1]

Morphology

A strong verb of class VI with a present in *-j-,[6][7] as in Old Saxon, past plural scuopun.[8] EWA notes that the strong verb and a weak verb began to mix their paradigms already in Old High German, as they did in the other Germanic languages.[9]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English, Old Frisian, Old Saxon and Old High German: Old English sċieppan, with Mercian sċeppend (“creator”), Old Frisian skeppa, Old Saxon skeppian and Old High German skepfen.[1] For Old Dutch, ONW lists the strong verb only as an unattested *skeppen, taken from the Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch.[10]

Competing analyses

Kroonen calls *skap(j)an- a strong verb of uncertain origin, and considers deriving it from the iterative *skapp/bōn- "to scrape": the shift from "to hollow out" to "to form" is not evident, but finds support in Old Saxon skap and Old High German scaf "container".[4]

Meanings

  1. to make, to create[1][2]

Old English also used the verb for "to shape, to arrange, to assign",[7] Old Frisian for "to appoint, to order" and "to give (a name)",[11] Old Saxon for "to measure" and "to give a name",[8] and Old High German for "to produce, to shape" and for scooping liquid.[9]

Derivatives

  • *-skapi, a suffix forming nouns: from the verb a noun *skapiz "shape, form, condition" was derived, and since its meaning was very general, its compounds could be reanalysed as suffixed nouns; many such nouns are shared by several West Germanic languages, as Proto-West Germanic *bodaskapi "message", *friund(V)skapi "friendship" and *gasinþaskapi "following, fellowship".[12]
  • *skap "shape", which Wiktionary reconstructs from Proto-Germanic *skapą, a word it relates to *skapjaną.[13]

Reflexes

  • Old English: sċieppan (“to create, to shape, to make, to arrange, to assign”)[7]
  • Old Frisian: skeppa (“to create, to form, to appoint, to give (a name)”)[11]
  • Old Saxon: skeppian (“to create, to measure”)[8]
  • Old High German: skepfen (“to create, to produce, to shape; to scoop”)[9]

*skappjan2 to scoop, to hollow out

Confidence
Probable

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs a second verb *skappjan "to hollow out, to scoop, to dig"; in its analysis the verb is formed from a noun *skap "hollow object, barrel, cup" with the suffix *-jan.[2] Köbler derives the Old Saxon weak verb from skap (“vessel”),[6] and EWA explains the Germanic weak verb partly as a derivative of Proto-Germanic *skapa- "barrel", the source of Old High German skaf (“cup, tub”), and partly as an intensive of the strong verb.[9]

Morphology

A weak verb of class I.[6][10]

Evidence

The verb is recorded on the continent: Old Saxon skeppian "to scoop", once in the Heliand,[6] and Old Dutch skeppen, a weak verb used of drawing water from a well in Williram's commentary of 1100.[10] Wiktionary lists no Old English reflex.[2] In Old High German, scooping liquid is among the senses of the strong verb skepfen.[9]

Competing analyses

Köbler separates the Old Saxon strong verb "to create" from a weak verb "to scoop", and does the same for Old Frisian.[6][14] EWA instead puts "to scoop" among the senses of the Old High German strong verb, beside a weak verb meaning "to create".[9]

Meanings

  1. to scoop[2][6]

Wiktionary also gives "to hollow out" and "to dig".[2]

Reflexes

  • Old Saxon: skeppian (“to scoop”)[6]
  • Old Dutch: skeppen (“to draw (water)”)[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 216
  2. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skappjan
  3. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 51
  4. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 440
  5. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 334
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. skėppian
  7. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. scieppan
  8. ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. skeppian
  9. ^ a b c d e f 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. skepfen¹
  10. ^ a b c d Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. skeppen
  11. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. skeppa
  12. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 132
  13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skap
  14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *skeppa

Related etymologies

  • *stain · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *beran · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *sōkijan · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *fimf · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hail · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hertā · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *busk · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *reht · also from Proto-Germanic
Cite this entry

“*skappjan.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gmw-pro/*skappjan. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·