*baukn

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *baukn for Proto-West Germanic,^[1][2] and Wiktionary has the same form.^[3] Wiktionary takes it to be inherited from Proto-Germanic *baukną (“sign, symbol”),^[3] and Köbler sets up Proto-Germanic *baukna-, *bauknam.^[4] In Old English the word shows the Anglian monophthongization of the diphthong: West Saxon ⟨bēacn⟩ against early Mercian ⟨bǣcun⟩, Mercian ⟨bēc(e)n⟩ and Northumbrian ⟨bēcon⟩.^[1] It also varies between forms with and without an epenthetic vowel after the heavy syllable, West Saxon ⟨bēacn⟩ ~ ⟨bēacen⟩, while Mercian has ⟨bēcen⟩.^[2]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[5][6]

Evidence

The word is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English bēacen, Old Frisian bāken (“signal fire”), Old Saxon bōkan (“sign, portent”) and Old High German bouhhan (“sign, exemplar”),^[2] and Old Dutch bōkan in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of about 1100.^[7] Early Old English glossaries have the compounds ⟨siġ-bēacn⟩ "trophy" and ⟨here-bǣcun⟩ "military standard",^[2] and Old Saxon has ⟨heribōkan⟩ "standard".^[5] EWA notes that the word survives to this day only in Frisian and English; elsewhere a loan from Frisian spread over almost the whole area, including Middle Low German bāke and Old Norse bákn.^[5] It reports that French bouée (“buoy”) is probably borrowed from West Germanic *baukn- or an Old Low Franconian *bōkan, though this is disputed.^[5]

Competing analyses

The further origin of the word is unknown: EWA finds all three explanations that compete in most etymological dictionaries more or less doubtful.^[5] The older view, held mainly by Scandinavian scholars, takes it for a compound of a prefix and a form of the word for "eye",^[5] and Lühr's version of it is theoretically possible, but uncertain because of the problematic word formation.^[5] A derivation from a root meaning "to shine" does not account for the whole Germanic word.^[5] Modéer took it for a loan from Latin būcina (“signal horn”), a view Kluge adopted and Berr follows;^[5][8] EWA finds it unlikely on phonetic grounds, since the Latin long u would not have given the Germanic diphthong.^[5]

Meanings

1. sign^[1][2]
2. symbol, signal^[3]

Old English also used the word for "apparition" and "banner",^[9] Old Frisian for "signal fire", Old Saxon for "portent" and Old High German for "exemplar".^[2]

Derivatives

• *bauknōn and *bauknijan "to signal, to beckon", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[10][11] Berr lists the verbs Old Saxon bōknian, Old English bēacnian and Old High German bouhnen "to make signs".^[8]

Reflexes

• Old English: bēacen (“sign, apparition, banner”)^[9]
• Old Frisian: bāken (“sign, signal fire”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: bōkan (“sign”)^[8]
• Old Dutch: bōkan (“sign”)^[7]
• Old High German: bouhhan (“sign, hint, symbol, banner”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 309
2. ^ a b c d e f Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 331
3. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *baukn
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *baukna-
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. bouchan
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bôkan
7. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. bōkan
8. ^ a b c Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 66
9. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. beacen
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bauknōn
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bauknijan
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bâken