*krakōn

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the weak verb *krakōn "to crack, crackle, shriek" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *krak- (“to crack, crackle”),^[2] which EWA reconstructs as the weak verb *krakōi̯e/a-.^[3] EWA holds the Germanic word group to be certainly onomatopoeic.^[3]

Morphology

A weak verb of class II.^[4][3]

Evidence

The verb is attested only in Old English cracian^[5] and Old High German krahhōn, recorded in glosses from the 8th century.^[3] EWA cites Middle Low German kraken and Middle Dutch craken for the later northern languages.^[3] Old English also has cearcian (“to gnash, crash”), which EWA explains by metathesis,^[3][6] and Holthausen cross-refers it in his entry for the verb.^[5]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary derives the verb from Proto-Indo-European *gerg-, *grā- "to crow, shout", ultimately onomatopoeic, and calls Lithuanian girgždėti (“to creak, squeak”) a cognate.^[1] EWA finds a direct relation with such words, including the Lithuanian verb and a Sanskrit verb meaning "roars", unlikely, and treats them as parallel formations.^[3]

Meanings

1. to crack, crackle, shriek^[1]

Old English used the verb for "to crack, to resound",^[5] and Old High German for "to crack, to groan", its present participle for "decrepit".^[3]

Reflexes

• Old English: cracian (“to crack, to resound”)^[5]
• Old High German: krahhōn (“to crack, to crackle, to break, to groan”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *krakōn
2. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *krak-
3. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. krachôn
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. cracian
5. ^ a b c d Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. cracian
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. cearcian
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. krahhōn