*angī

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *angī and explains it as the Proto-Germanic adjective with the adjective suffix *-ī.^[1] It continues inherited from Proto-Germanic *anguz (“narrow”),^[2][3] which Kroonen cites as *angwu-, Orel as *anʒuz and Köbler as *angu-, *angwu-.^[2][3][4] Ringe reconstructs *anguz, a u-stem, with the feminine *angwī.^[5] EWA sets up an original u-stem *angu-, perhaps beside a wa-stem *angwa-, and notes that in West Germanic, which kept no u-inflection of adjectives, the word is inflected as a ja-stem.^[6] Ringe and Taylor explain such forms: in West Germanic the masculine and neuter paradigms in *-(i)ja- were usually backformed to the original feminines of the i- and u-stems.^[7]

Morphology

A ja-stem adjective.^[6][8] Old English also has an adverb ange.^[9]

Evidence

The adjective is attested as Old English enge,^[10] Old Saxon engi, with the comparative ⟨engira⟩ in the Heliand,^[11] and Old High German engi, with several spelling variants.^[6] EWA finds it not attested in Old Frisian,^[6] but Hofmann and Popkema list Old Frisian enge from West Lauwers Frisian.^[12] Wiktionary gives the Old Dutch form only as a reconstruction.^[1]

Meanings

1. narrow^[2][1]

Old English also used the adjective for "oppressive" and "anxious, sad",^[10] and Old High German for "tight" and "oppressed".^[6]

Derivatives

• *angwijan "to make narrow", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[13] Kroonen sets up the factitive *angwjan- for Gothic, Old Norse and Middle Dutch verbs,^[2] and Orel lists Old High German engen (“to scare, to press”).^[14]
• *angwēn "to be narrow, to become narrow", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[15] Köbler sets up *angwēn for Old High German angēn.^[16]
• Köbler sets up a feminine *angī- "narrowness" for Old English engu and Old High German engī.^[17]

Reflexes

• Old English: enge (“narrow, close; oppressive; anxious”)^[10]
• Old Frisian: enge (“narrow”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: engi (“narrow”)^[18]
• Old High German: engi (“narrow, tight; oppressed”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *angī
2. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 28
3. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 19
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *angu-
5. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 111
6. ^ 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. engi
7. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 21
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. ėnge
9. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. ange
10. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. enge
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. ėngi
12. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. enge
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *angwijan
14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 20
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *angwēn
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *angwēn, *angwǣn
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *angī-, *angīn
18. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 102