*rihtijan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *rihtijan "to straighten, to set straight; to align, to direct" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *rihtijaną (“to straighten”),^[1] which Kroonen and Köbler cite as *rehtjan-, *rehtjan and EWA as *reχtii̯e/a-.^[2][3][4] Kroonen calls it a denominative verb to the adjective *rehta-,^[2] and EWA a factitive "to make straight" to the adjective, on which the meaning of the noun for "right" soon acted, so that the verb also meant "to pronounce judgement".^[4] In North and West Germanic only forms with *-i-, from Proto-Germanic *e by i-umlaut, are regular;^[4] EWA puts the forms with -e-, such as Old English rehtan, down to the influence of the adjective and the noun, which kept e.^[4][5]

Morphology

A weak verb of class I.^[6][4]

Evidence

The verb is attested as Old English rihtan, also ryhtan,^[5] Old Frisian riuchta,^[7] Old Saxon rihtian,^[8] Old Dutch rihten, in Williram's commentary of about 1100,^[9] and Old High German rihten, from the end of the 8th century.^[4]

Meanings

1. to straighten, to set straight; to align, to direct^[1]

Old English also used the verb for "to correct", "to lead" and "to erect",^[10] Old Frisian for "to administer justice" and "to swear an oath of exoneration",^[11] Old Saxon for "to rule",^[8] and Old High German for "to guide", "to judge" and "to set up".^[12]

Derivatives

• *garihtijan "to set right, to correct", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[13] Old English and Old Saxon have the verb with the prefix ge-, gi-.^[5][6]

Reflexes

• Old English: rihtan (“to correct, to lead, to erect, to set up”)^[10]
• Old Frisian: riuchta (“to judge, to decide, to administer justice”)^[7]
• Old Saxon: rihtian (“to set up, to rule”)^[8]
• Old Dutch: rihten (“to direct, to guide”)^[9]
• Old High German: rihten (“to straighten, to guide, to judge, to set up”)^[12]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rihtijan
2. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 408
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *rehtjan
4. ^ 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. rihten
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rihtan
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rihtian 4
7. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. riuchta
8. ^ a b c Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 324
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. rihten
10. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. rihtan
11. ^ Bremmer, Rolf H., Jr. (2009), An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins, p. 209
12. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rihten 171
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *garihtijan