*strīkan

Reconstruction

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

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *strīkaną (“to stroke”).^[1] Kroonen and Köbler set up the Proto-Germanic strong verb behind the West Germanic forms,^[2][3] which Köbler writes *streikan, *strīkan, and Orel *strīk(w)anan.^[3][4] EWA derives the West Germanic verbs from Proto-Germanic *strīk-e/a-.^[5]

Morphology

A strong verb of class I.^[5][6]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English strīcan, Old Frisian strīka and Old High German strīhhan.^[6][7][8] Old Frisian has it only in compounds, ofstrīka (“to tear off”) and upstrīka (“to spread on”),^[5][9] and Old High German from the late 8th century, in glosses.^[5] In Old Dutch only the compound thurostrīkan (“to go through”) is recorded, with the past ⟨thurgstreych⟩ in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of 1100.^[10][11] Wiktionary lists an Old Saxon reflex,^[1] but EWA's list of the cognates names no Old Saxon form, only Middle Low German strīken.^[5] Gamillscheg derives French étricher "to degrease (gut strings)", recorded from the 12th century and first as a sailors' term for striking the sails, from Frankish *strikan.^[12]

Competing analyses

EWA leaves open whether Old Norse strýkja, strýkva "to stroke" continues a Proto-Norse *strīkwe/a- with a secondary *-w-, or belongs to the root *streuk- of the same meaning.^[5] Wiktionary holds Proto-Germanic *streukaną (“to stroke”) to be apparently unrelated, despite the closeness of form and meaning.^[13]

Meanings

1. to stroke, to rub^[1][2]

Old English also used the verb for "to wipe" and "to move, to go",^[14] and Old High German for "to spread on, to whet, to rub off".^[8]

Reflexes

• Old English: strīcan (“to stroke, to rub, to wipe, to move, to go”)^[14]
• Old Frisian: strīka (“to stroke”)^[9]
• Old High German: strīhhan (“to spread on, to whet, to rub off”)^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *strīkan
2. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 485
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *streikan
4. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 382
5. ^ 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. strîchan
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. strīcan
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. strīka
8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. strīhhan
9. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. strīka
10. ^ Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. thurostrīkan
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thurostrīkkan
12. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 431
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *strīkaną
14. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. strīcan