𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽

Forms

𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (dragan), a strong verb of the sixth class.^[1][2][3] The only recorded form is the third person plural present 𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳 (dragand) at 2 Timothy 4:3 in manuscript B; manuscript A has 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳 (gadragand) there.^[3][4] Streitberg marks the simple verb as a scribal error for the compound of A.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *draganą (“to draw, pull, carry”).^[5][6] Kroonen calls it an o-grade intensive verb, reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *dʰrógʰ-e- and finds no clear etymology.^[6] The cognates are Old Norse draga, Old English dragan, Old Frisian drega, Old Saxon dragan and Old High German tragan.^[6][7] Lehmann notes the split in meaning: Old Saxon and Old High German "carry", but Old Norse and Old English "draw, pull".^[8] Uhlenbeck finds no secure connection outside Germanic and reports a comparison with Avestan dražaitē (“holds fast”) and a Slavic verb for "hold".^[7] Lehmann calls the etymology uncertain and mentions a root meaning "pull", possibly in Latin trahō (“to pull”).^[8] Kroonen thinks the often compared Ancient Greek τρέχω (trékhō, “to run”) more likely belongs with Proto-Germanic *þragjan-.^[6]

Attestation

The verb occurs once, at 2 Timothy 4:3 in manuscript B.^[4][3] Köbler gives Ancient Greek ἐπισωρεύω (episōreúō, “to heap up”) as the Greek verb that sis dragan renders.^[3] The verse reads ak du seinaim lustum dragand sis laisarjans, "but after their own desires they heap up teachers for themselves".^[9]

Meanings

1. to carry, load; with sis, to heap up for oneself, for ἐπισωρεύειν.^[1][2][3]

Word family

• 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gadragan, “to amass, accumulate”)
• 𐌰𐍄𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (atdragan, “to carry”)

References

1. ^ a b c Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. dragan
2. ^ a b Braune, Wilhelm; Heidermanns, Frank (2004), Gotische Grammatik, mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis, 20th ed., Sammlung kurzer Grammatiken germanischer Dialekte A 1, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 274
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. dragan
4. ^ a b 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
5. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽
6. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 99
7. ^ a b Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 36
8. ^ a b Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. *dragan
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, p. 2Tim 4:3