*jagōn

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *jagōn "to hunt" for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and EWA sets up the West Germanic stem as *i̯agōi̯e/a-.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *jakkōną (“to hunt”) according to Wiktionary,^[1] which derives the Proto-Germanic verb from an earlier paradigm *jakkōþi ~ *jagunanþi.^[3] Köbler sets up Germanic *jagōn instead.^[4] EWA counts the verb among the words with initial j- that are found only in continental West Germanic and are etymologically obscure; it finds none of the attempts to connect it outside Germanic convincing.^[2]

Morphology

A weak verb of class II.^[2][5] Some Old High German forms of the present subjunctive follow the class III inflection,^[2] and Köbler lists a class III verb jagēn beside it.^[6]

Evidence

EWA finds only continental West Germanic correspondences of the Old High German verb: Middle Low German jāgen, early Middle Dutch jaghen (1240), and Old Frisian jeia, jagia, jegia.^[2] Neither EWA nor Wiktionary lists an Old English form.^[2][1] Old Dutch has the noun jagere (“hunter”), glossing Latin vēnātor in a source Köbler dates to the 9th century.^[7] The late Old Norse jaga and the Scandinavian forms are borrowed from Middle Low German.^[2][8]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary's Proto-Germanic *jakkōną has a geminate,^[3] while Köbler's *jagōn and EWA's West Germanic *i̯agōi̯e/a- have a single *g.^[4][2] EWA treats it as a word of continental West Germanic only, Frisian included, and takes the Norse forms for loans.^[2]

Meanings

1. to hunt^[1]

Old High German also used the verb for "to drive on, to pursue, to drive away, to put to flight",^[2] and Old Frisian for "to pursue, to drive away".^[9]

Derivatives

• *jagōþu "hunt, hunting; chase", which Wiktionary reconstructs.^[10]
• Old High German used the present participle jagōnti as a noun, "hunter".^[11]

Reflexes

• Old Frisian: jagia (“to hunt, to pursue, to drive away”)^[9]
• Old High German: jagōn (“to hunt, to drive on, to pursue, to put to flight”)^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *jagōn
2. ^ 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. jagôn
3. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *jakkōną
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *jagōn
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. jagia
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. jagēn
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. jagere
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. jaga
9. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. jeia
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *jagōþu
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. jagōn