*wagi

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *wagi and takes it to be inherited from Proto-Germanic *wagjaz (“wedge”).^[1] Kroonen cites the Proto-Germanic word by its stem *wagja- and Orel as *waʒjaz; both list the West Germanic words under it.^[2][3] Köbler sets up *wagja-, *wagjaz.^[4]

Morphology

A masculine ja-stem.^[5][6]

Evidence

The word is attested in Old English wecg, Old Saxon weggi and Old High German wecki.^[2] Old Saxon has it in glosses on Latin cuneus,^[6] and Old High German in glosses from the first quarter of the 9th century.^[7] No Old Frisian or Old Dutch form is recorded: Wiktionary reconstructs Old Frisian *wegge and Old Dutch *weggi.^[1]

Meanings

1. wedge^[1]

Old English also used the word for "lump", "coin" and a mass of metal,^[8] and Old High German for a troop or division of an army.^[7]

Reflexes

• Old English: wecg (“wedge, lump, coin”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: weggi (“wedge”)^[6]
• Old High German: weggi (“wedge, troop, army division”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wagi
2. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 565
3. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 439
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wagja-
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wėcg
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weggi
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weggi
8. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. wecg