*brūkan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *brūkan.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *brūkaną (“to need, to enjoy”),^[2][3] which Orel writes *ƀrūkanan.^[4]

Morphology

Ringe and Taylor argue that Proto-Germanic *brūkaną was not a strong verb, though it became one in individual daughter languages.^[2] It is a strong verb in Old English,^[5] and a strong verb of class II in Old Saxon and Old High German;^[6][7] for Old Frisian, Hofmann and Popkema give a weak verb, Boutkan and Siebinga a strong verb of class II.^[8][9]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English brūcan, Old Frisian brūka, Old Saxon brūkan and Old High German brūhhan.^[4] Old Saxon has it in the Heliand and the Genesis.^[6]

Competing analyses

Boutkan and Siebinga set up Proto-Germanic *brūkjanaN,^[9] while Orel gives *ƀrūkjanan only for Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌿𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (brūkjan).^[4] Ringe takes the Gothic verb to be remodelled on its weak past.^[10]

Meanings

1. to use, to employ^[1]
2. to consume^[1]

Ringe and Taylor gloss the Proto-Germanic verb "to need".^[2] Old English also used it for "to enjoy", "to possess", "to partake" and "to eat",^[5] Old Saxon for "to enjoy",^[11] Old Frisian also for "to sell",^[8] and Old High German for "to administer", "to exercise" and "to enjoy".^[7]

Derivatives

• *brūkī "useful": Ringe and Taylor trace Proto-Germanic *brūkiz through Proto-West Germanic *brūkī to Old High German brūhhi and Old English brȳċe.^[12] Orel derives *ƀrūkiz from the verb.^[4]

Reflexes

• Old English: brūcan (“to use, to enjoy, to possess, to eat”)^[5]
• Old Frisian: brūka (“to use, to make use of, to sell”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: brūkan (“to enjoy”)^[11]
• Old High German: brūhhan (“to use, to exercise, to enjoy”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *brūkan
2. ^ a b c Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 39
3. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 254
4. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 60
5. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. brūcan
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. brūkan
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. brūhhan
8. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. brūka
9. ^ a b Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. bruka
10. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 112
11. ^ a b Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. brūkan
12. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 224