*skatt

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *skatt for Proto-West Germanic.^[1] It continues inherited from Proto-Germanic *skattaz (“coin, money”),^[1][2] which Kroonen cites by its stem *skatta-, and Orel as *skattaz.^[3][4] Ringe and Taylor trace Proto-Germanic *skattaz "coin, money" through *skætt, the stage continued by Old Frisian skett, and *sċætt to West Saxon Old English sċeatt.^[2] They describe the loss of word-final *-az in Proto-West Germanic as falling especially on the a-stem endings of the direct cases.^[5]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem.^[6][7] Old Frisian has it as a masculine and neuter noun.^[8]

Evidence

The word is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English sceatt,^[9] Old Frisian sket,^[8] Old Saxon skat, in the Heliand among other texts,^[6] and Old High German skaz, from the third quarter of the 8th century.^[7] In Old Dutch, ONW records the accusative scaz in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible of 1151–1200.^[10] EWA also finds the word inserted into Latin texts, as ⟨scaz⟩ in the acts of the Council of Attigny of 870 and as ⟨scats⟩ in Hincmar of Laon.^[7] ONW, after the FEW, records a Frankish *skat behind Old French escat (“sum of money”).^[10]

Competing analyses

The origin of the Proto-Germanic word is disputed.^[7][4] Because Gothic has only the meaning "money, coin", and the Germanic peoples took coinage over from the Romans, it has often been taken for a loanword, but EWA finds no possible Latin model and no other source.^[7] EWA prefers an inherited word with a meaning partly borrowed from Roman conditions: "divided-off property" became "property in cattle", and then, in contact with the Romans, for whom property meant chiefly money, "money, treasure".^[7] Kroonen relates it to a Westphalian strong verb meaning "to yield" and finds no further etymology,^[3] a link that EWA argues against;^[7] Orel calls it a very difficult word,^[4] and Casaretto an isolated formation without a secure etymology.^[11] Old Church Slavonic скотъ (skotŭ, “cattle”) is a loan from Germanic for Kroonen and EWA.^[3][7]

Meanings

1. treasure^[1]
2. money^[1]

Kroonen glosses the Proto-Germanic word "wealth, property, cattle".^[3] Old English also used it for "coin", "payment" and "tribute",^[9] Old Frisian for "cattle, especially cows" and a unit of payment,^[8] and Old High German for "coin", "denarius" and "tax".^[12]

Derivatives

• *skattōn "to collect treasure; to value; to pay tribute", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[13] Köbler records Old Frisian *skattia "to tax", with Old High German skazzōn.^[14]

Reflexes

• Old English: sceatt (“treasure, money, property, coin, payment, tribute”)^[9]
• Old Frisian: sket (“treasure, money, property, cattle”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: skat (“coin, treasure, money, property”)^[6]
• Old Dutch: scaz (“sum of money”)^[10]
• Old High German: skaz (“treasure, wealth, money, coin”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skatt
2. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 216
3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 441
4. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 336
5. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 45
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. skat
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. skaz
8. ^ a b c d Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. sket
9. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. sceatt
10. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. skat
11. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. skatts
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. skaz
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skattōn
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *skattia