*skaiþan

Reconstruction

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

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *skaiþaną (“to separate”),^[2][3] beside which Orel sets up *skaiđanan and Köbler *skaidan, *skaiþan.^[4][5] Ringe and Taylor derive Old Saxon skēđan and Old High German sceidan from *skaiþaną, and find it remodelled as *skaidaną in Old Saxon skēdan and Old English sċ(e)ādan, as independently in Gothic.^[2]

Morphology

A reduplicating strong verb, of class VII.^[6][7] Old Frisian made it a weak verb, though strong forms also occur.^[8][9] Ringe and Taylor reconstruct the Proto-Germanic third singular present *skaiþidi "it separates", continued in Old High German, beside *skaididi, continued in Gothic and Old Saxon;^[10] Old English continues the form with *d.^[10]

Evidence

The verb is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English sċēadan, Old Frisian skētha, Old Saxon skēthan and Old High German skeidan,^[4] and Old Dutch skēthan in the Old Low Franconian psalms of the 10th century.^[7] In Old High German it is found from the 9th century.^[6]

Competing analyses

The variants with *þ and with *đ are, according to the etymological dictionary of Dutch cited by EWA, due to different generalizations of the two forms that Verner's law produced in the paradigm when the accent shifted.^[6] Ringe and Taylor instead treat *skaidaną as a remodelling of *skaiþaną,^[2] and Boutkan writes the Proto-Germanic form *skaiþ/danaN.^[8]

Meanings

1. to separate^[2][1]

Old English also used the verb for "to distinguish", "to decide" and "to scatter",^[11] Old Frisian for "to depart" and "to exclude",^[9] and Old High German for "to split" and "to divide up".^[6]

Derivatives

• *skaiþiju "sheath": Ringe and Taylor find Proto-Northwest Germanic *skaiþiz "split billet" remodelled as Proto-West Germanic *skaiþiju, the source of Old Frisian skēthe, Old Saxon skēđia and Old High German sceida.^[10] Orel derives Proto-Germanic *skaiþiz from the verb.^[12]

Reflexes

• Old English: sċēadan (“to separate, to distinguish, to decide”)^[11]
• Old Frisian: skētha (“to separate, to depart, to decide”)^[9]
• Old Saxon: skēthan (“to separate”)^[13]
• Old Dutch: skēthan (“to separate”)^[7]
• Old High German: skeidan (“to separate, to split, to divide”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skaiþan
2. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 207
3. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skaiþaną
4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 331
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *skaidan, *skaiþan
6. ^ a b c d e 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. skeidan
7. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. skēthan
8. ^ a b Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. sketha
9. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. skētha
10. ^ a b c Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 235
11. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. scéadan
12. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 332
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. skêthan