𐌲𐌰-

Forms

𐌲𐌰- (ga-), an inseparable prefix of verbs, nouns and adjectives.^[1][2][3] It may be followed by the enclitic particles -u and -uh, and -bau, before the verb: ga-u-, gah-, ga-bau-.^[1] Grienberger saw in this order a trace of an older independent adverb.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *ga-,^[5][2] which Wiktionary and Kroonen derive from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm, the source of Latin con-, com-.^[5][6] Kroonen explains the initial g- by Verner's law applied at the start of words that were usually unstressed clitics, and cites the cognates Old English ge-, Old Frisian ge-, Old Saxon gi- and Old High German gi-.^[6] Feist and Uhlenbeck accept that the prefix is often used like Latin com- and Old Irish com-, but hold that a sound relation has not been proved, despite Bugge's attempt.^[1][7][8] Both prefer Meillet's comparison with an Armenian prefix meaning "around, at, over" and an Old Church Slavonic preposition meaning "behind".^[1][7] Uhlenbeck thinks a proposed link with particles in Slavic and in Sanskrit can hardly be proved, their meaning being so faint.^[7]

Attestation

The prefix is recorded only in compounds; the Wulfila project lists these under hyphenated lemmas such as ga-draban and ga-tamjan.^[9] Regan marks many ga- verbs as perfective, such as ga-sitan "to sit down" beside sitan, and ga-sigljan "to seal".^[10][11]

Meanings

1. together, with; co- (in compounds)^[2][5][12]
2. in verbs, marks the action as completed (perfective)^[2][5][10]
3. marks completeness or wholeness^[5]

Word family

• 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (gadraban, “to hew out”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gatamjan, “to tame”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gaskaþjan, “to harm”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (gasitan, “to sit down”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌲𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gasigljan, “to seal”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌽 (gabeidan, “to endure”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌴𐌹 (gaaggwei, “constraint”)

Usage notes

Grienberger took the original sense to be "to, together, down", and contrasted us-lūkan "to open" with ga-lūkan "to shut".^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. *ga-
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *ga-
3. ^ Braune, Wilhelm; Heidermanns, Frank (2004), Gotische Grammatik, mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis, 20th ed., Sammlung kurzer Grammatiken germanischer Dialekte A 1, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 277
4. ^ a b Grienberger, Theodor von (1900), Untersuchungen zur gotischen Wortkunde, Sitzungsberichte der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien, phil.-hist. Classe 142, Wien, p. s.v. ga-
5. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌲𐌰-
6. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 52
8. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1888), Grundriss der gotischen Etymologie, Strassburg: Trübner, p. s.v. ga-
9. ^ De Herdt, Tom (2004–2026), Project Wulfila: digital edition of the Gothic Bible with lemma and morphological annotation, data release 2026-09-03, wulfila.be
10. ^ a b Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 136
11. ^ Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 134
12. ^ Meyer, Leo (1869), Die gothische Sprache: ihre Lautgestaltung insbesondere im Verhältniss zum Altindischen, Griechischen und Lateinischen, Berlin: Weidmann, p. 733