*mainijan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *mainijan "to mean, to think" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to mean, to think”),^[1] which Kroonen cites as *mainjan- "to think",^[2] Orel as *mainjanan "to mean",^[3] Köbler as *mainjan "to mean, to think",^[4] and EWA as *mai̯n-ii̯e/a-.^[5] Orel keeps it apart from verbs meaning "to demean" and "to share",^[3] and Köbler from one meaning "to take part".^[4]

Morphology

A weak verb of class I.^[6][5]

Evidence

The verb is attested as Old English mǣnan,^[7] Old Frisian mēna,^[8] Old Saxon mēnian,^[9] Old Dutch mēnen, in Williram's commentary of about 1100,^[10] and Old High German meinen, from the 8th century.^[5] EWA holds that the North Germanic verbs, such as Icelandic meina (recorded from the 16th century) and Swedish mena, are all loans from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch.^[5]

Competing analyses

Kroonen takes the verb for a causative formation shared by Germanic and Baltic, from *moin-eie-, comparing Old Church Slavonic мѣнити (měniti, “to suppose, to think”).^[2] EWA rejects a causative *moi̯n-éi̯e/o-, because a root *(H)mei̯n- is lacking and the Germanic verbs have no causative meaning; it derives the verb instead from a noun continued in Celtic *moi̯no- "wish, desire", Old Irish mían, which probably belongs to the root *(h₂)mei̯- "to change, to exchange", so that the basic meaning would have been "to wish (a change)".^[5] Orel relates the Proto-Germanic verb to the Slavic verbs for "to think".^[3]

Meanings

1. to mean, to think^[1]

Old English also used the verb for "to intend", "to mention", "to tell" and "to lament",^[7] Old Frisian for "to believe" and "to suspect",^[8] Old Saxon for "to signify" and "to make known",^[9] and Old High German for "to intend" and "to signify".^[5]

Derivatives

• *gamainijan² "to intend, to announce", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[11] Old Saxon has gimēnian (“to announce”),^[12] and Old English the prefixed verb too.^[7]

Reflexes

• Old English: mǣnan (“to mean, to intend, to mention, to tell, to lament”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: mēna (“to mean, to believe, to intend, to signify”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: mēnian (“to mean, to intend, to signify, to make known”)^[9]
• Old Dutch: mēnen (“to mean”)^[10]
• Old High German: meinen (“to mean, to intend, to signify”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *mainijan
2. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 348
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 255
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *mainjan
5. ^ a b c d e f g 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. meinen
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. mênian
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. mǣnan
8. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. mēna
9. ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. ménian
10. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. mēnen
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gamainijan
12. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 281