*strakkjan

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *strakkjan "to stretch out" for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Wiktionary has the same form.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *strakkjaną (“to stretch”),^[3][4] which Orel cites as *strakkjanan and Köbler as *strakkjan.^[3][4] Orel derives it from *strak(k)az.^[3] LÄGLOS writes the Proto-Germanic verb with a single consonant, *strakjan-.^[5] EWA derives West Germanic *strakkja/e- from Proto-Germanic *strak(k)-ja/e-, with the second k in brackets.^[6] Ringe and Taylor list it with *rakkjan, which they derive from Proto-Germanic *rakjaną "to stretch out", among the Old English examples with palatalized geminates: *strakkjan became *stræċċąn and then Old English streċċan.^[1]

Morphology

A weak verb of class I.^[7][6] In Old English it belongs to a small group of class I verbs in *-k- that formed their past without *-i-: streċċan, streahte, streaht, beside Old High German strecken, strahta ~ stracta, gistreckit ~ gistraht-.^[8] Ringe and Taylor take the more plausible view to be that these past stems were not a Proto-West Germanic creation, and think it likely, though not provable, that Old High German did not share the change.^[9]

Evidence

The verb is attested as Old English streccan,^[7] Old Frisian strekka^[10] and Old High German strecken.^[6] ONW reconstructs Old Dutch strekken from Old French esterkir (“to set about”), recorded in northern France in 1150, which it takes to continue an older Old Dutch *strakjan with metathesis of the r and a prothetic e.^[11] EWA holds that North Germanic took the verb over from Middle Low German.^[6]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary analyses the verb as a West Germanic formation from *strak "stretched, straight" and *-jan,^[2] while Orel, Köbler, LÄGLOS and EWA set up a Proto-Germanic verb.^[3][4][5][6] Orel also cites Norwegian strekkja as a cognate,^[3] whereas EWA takes the North Germanic verb for a loan from Middle Low German.^[6]

Meanings

1. to stretch out^[1][2]
2. to make straight^[2]

Old English also used the verb for "to spread out", "to prostrate" and "to reach",^[7] and Old Frisian for "to extend".^[10]

Reflexes

• Old English: streccan (“to stretch, to spread out, to prostrate, to reach”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: strekka (“to extend”)^[10]
• Old Dutch: strekken (“to stretch, to set about”), reconstructed from Old French^[11]
• Old High German: strecken (“to stretch out, to lay down”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 238
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *strakkjan
3. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 380
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *strakkjan
5. ^ a b Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 119
6. ^ 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. strecken
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. streccan
8. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 97
9. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 98
10. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. strekka
11. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. strekken