Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ga-

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Alternative forms

• *gą-

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“with, near, by, along”). Cognate with Latin co-, con-, prefix forms of cum (“with”). The irregular change from expected **ha- to *ga- is probably due to the unstressed nature of this prefix.

Prefix

*ga-

1. Indicates association or togetherness; co-.
2. Indicates completeness or wholeness. In verbs, also indicates perfectivity (a finished action).

Derived terms

Proto-Germanic terms prefixed with *ga-

• *gagana
• *gaganą

Descendants

In Old Norse, *ga- only survives as a fossil in a few words. Its semantic function was, however, retained perfectly by the particle of.

• Proto-West Germanic: *ga-
  • Old English: ġe-, gæ-; gi-; i-; ie-
    • Middle English: ȝe-, i-, y-
      • English: a-, y-, i- (obsolete)
  • Old Frisian: ge-, gi-, je-, ie-, e-, i-, a-
    • Saterland Frisian: ge-
    • West Frisian: ge-
  • Old Saxon: gi-, i-, ge-, ga-
    • Middle Low German: ge-
      • Low German: ge-, e-, je-
  • Old Dutch: gi-, ge-
    • Middle Dutch: ghe-, ge-, (West-Flanders) i-, y-
      • Dutch: ge-
        • Afrikaans: ge-
      • West Flemish: ge-, e-
  • Old High German: gi-, ga-, ki-, ka-
    • Middle High German: ge-
      • Alemannic German: g- or ge- (euphonic)
      • Bavarian: g-
      • German: ge-
      • Luxembourgish: ge-
      • Vilamovian: gy-
      • Yiddish: גע־ (ge-)
• Old Norse: g- (non-productive)
  • ⇒ Old Norse: gnógr, glíkr, greiðr, greiða, granni
• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰- (ga-)
• Vandalic: *ga-