*hrugi

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *hrugi for Proto-West Germanic, with the oblique stem *hruggja-,^[1] and Wiktionary has the same title.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hrugjaz (“back, spine”), which Ringe and Taylor give as a Proto-Northwest Germanic form beside Old Norse hryggr,^[1] and which Kroonen and Köbler cite as *hrugja-.^[3][4] The geminate *ggj of the oblique stem is one of the clusters that Old English inherited from West Germanic and that stayed palatal, so that the word became Old English hryċġ.^[1]

Morphology

A masculine ja-stem.^[5][6] Ringe and Taylor's nominative *hrugi stands beside the stem *hruggja-, like *sagi, *saggja- "retainer" and *wigi, *wiggja- "horse" in the same list.^[1] EWA notes that the Old High German spellings with ⟨cc⟩, ⟨ck⟩ and ⟨kk⟩ write the geminate *-gg- of West Germanic.^[5]

Evidence

The word is found in Old English hryċġ and Old Frisian hreg,^[1] in Old Dutch ruggi in the Old Low and Middle Franconian Psalms of the 10th century,^[7] and in Old High German ruggi, recorded from the last quarter of the 8th century.^[5] Old Saxon has it only in compounds, such as hruggibēn (“backbone”).^[5][8]

Meanings

1. back, spine^[1][2]

Old English also used the word for "ridge, height",^[6] and Old High German had set phrases such as ruggi kêren "to take flight" and hintar ruggi "back, backwards".^[5]

Derivatives

• *hruggjabain "backbone", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[9] the compound is Old English hrycgbān,^[10] Old Saxon hruggibēn^[8] and Old High German ruggibein.^[10]

Reflexes

• Old English: hryċġ (“back, spine, ridge”)^[6]
• Old Frisian: hreg (“back”)^[11]
• Old Dutch: ruggi (“back”)^[7]
• Old High German: ruggi (“back, spine”)^[5]

References

1. ^ 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. 213
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hrugi
3. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 250
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hrugja-
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. ruggi
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hrycg
7. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. ruggi
8. ^ a b Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. hruggibēn
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hruggjabain
10. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hrycgbān
11. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. hreg