*biginnan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *biginnan "to start, to begin".^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *ginnan (“to begin”), the simple verb being derived from Proto-Germanic *ginnaną (“to begin”).^[1] Kroonen lists the West Germanic verbs with the prefix under Proto-Germanic *ginnan- "to begin", beside a Gothic verb with another prefix.^[2] Köbler sets up a Proto-Germanic compound *bigennan instead.^[3]

Morphology

A strong verb of class III.^[4][5] Beside the strong past forms, Old High German has weak ones, modelled on the past of the verb for "can", which was close to it in use.^[4] Old Frisian and Middle Low German have such weak forms too.^[4] Old Dutch has the weak begunsta (“I began”) in the psalm glosses of the 10th century, emended from ⟨begegunsta⟩.^[6][7]

Evidence

EWA finds the verb only in compounds in all the Germanic languages: Old English beginnan, Old Frisian bijenna, Old Saxon biginnan, Old Dutch biginnan and Old High German biginnan; the simple verbs of Old English, Middle Low German and Modern German are secondary.^[4] Old High German has it from the 8th century in glosses.^[4] In Old Dutch it is also found in Williram's commentary of about 1100 and in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible.^[6]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary treats the verb as a Proto-West Germanic formation,^[1] while Köbler sets up the compound for Proto-Germanic, with reflexes in the West Germanic languages only.^[3]

Meanings

1. to begin, to start^[1][3]

Old English also used the verb for "to attempt" and "to attack",^[5] Old Frisian for "to found",^[8] and Old High German for "to undertake" and "to try".^[4]

Reflexes

• Old English: beginnan (“to begin, to attempt, to attack”)^[5]
• Old Frisian: bijenna (“to begin; to found”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: biginnan (“to begin, to undertake”)^[9]
• Old Dutch: biginnan (“to begin”)^[6]
• Old High German: biginnan (“to begin, to undertake, to try”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *biginnan
2. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 178
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *bigennan
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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. biginnan
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. beginnan
6. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. biginnan
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. biginnan
8. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bijenna
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. biginnan