*kaupōn

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *kaupōn for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *kaupōną (“to buy, to trade”),^[1] which Köbler cites as *kaupōn.^[2] Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍀𐍉𐌽 (kaupōn, “to trade”) and Old Norse kaupa have the verb too.^[3][4]

Morphology

A weak verb of class II.^[5][6] Beside it stood a class I verb, Old English cīepan, Old Saxon kōpian and Old High German choufen,^[4] for which Köbler sets up Proto-Germanic *kaupjan and Orel *kaupjanan.^[7][8]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English ċēapian, Old Frisian kāpia, Old Saxon kōpon and Old High German koufōn,^[6] and Old Dutch koufen in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible of 1151–1200.^[9] In Old High German it is recorded in glosses from the 11th century on and in Tatian.^[6]

Competing analyses

The verb belongs with a borrowing of Latin caupō (“innkeeper, petty trader”).^[10][4] EWA takes Old High German koufo (“merchant”) for a loan from the Latin noun and calls the verb certainly a derivative of it; it finds a borrowing from Latin caupōnor (“to haggle”) unlikely, since the Latin verb is rarely recorded.^[6][10] Wiktionary likewise forms the Proto-Germanic verb from *kaupô "merchant".^[1] Boutkan reports de Vries's view that the Latin noun was borrowed as *kaupōn in the 1st century AD, and that the Latin verb gave rise to the class II and class I verbs; he takes the noun kāp (“sale”) for a later formation.^[4] Köbler connects the Germanic verb with the Latin verb,^[2] and Orel derives the class I verb from the noun *kaupaz, which he calls a modification of the Latin noun.^[8]

Meanings

1. to buy, to trade^[1]

Old English also used the verb for "to sell",^[11] Old Frisian for "to purchase" and "to sell",^[12] Old Saxon for "to atone",^[5] and Old High German for "to trade".^[6]

Derivatives

• *kaup "trade, purchase", which Wiktionary reconstructs as a deverbal noun;^[13] Orel sets up Proto-Germanic *kaupaz, continued by Old English cēap, Old Frisian kāp, Old Saxon kōp and Old High German kouf.^[8]
• *bikaupōn "to bargain, to sell", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[14] Old English and Old Frisian have the prefixed verb.^[11][15]
• *kaupamann "merchant", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[16] Orel lists Old English, Old Frisian and Old High German forms of the compound.^[8]

Reflexes

• Old English: ċēapian (“to buy, to sell, to trade”)^[11]
• Old Frisian: kāpia (“to buy, to purchase, to sell”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: kōpon (“to buy, to acquire, to atone”)^[5]
• Old Dutch: koufen (“to buy”)^[9]
• Old High German: koufōn (“to buy, to acquire by purchase, to trade”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kaupōn
2. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *kaupōn
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. kaupōn
4. ^ a b c d Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. kap
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. kôpon
6. ^ 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. koufôn
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *kaupjan
8. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 211
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. kōpon
10. ^ a b 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. koufo
11. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. céapian
12. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. kāpia
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kaup
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bikaupōn
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. kâpia
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kaupamann