agan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European *eik- (“possession, ability”). Cognate with Old Frisian āga, Old Saxon ēgan, Old High German eigan, Old Norse eiga (Danish eje, Swedish äga), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 (aihan). The Indo-European root is also the source of Avestan 𐬀𐬉𐬱𐬁 (aēšā-, “ability, possessions”), Tocharian B aik- ‘to know’.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɑːɣɑn/

Verb

āgan (preterite-present)

1. to own, to possess, to have

   Ah him lifes geweald. He has power over life. (Legend of St Andrew)

2. to cause to own: to give, to deliver

Conjugation

Conjugation of agan (preterite-present)

indicative	present	preterite
1st-person singular	āh	āhte
2nd-person singular	āhst	āhtest
3rd-person singular	āh	āhte
plural	āgon	āhton
subjunctive	present	preterite
singular	āge	āhte
plural	āgen	āhten
imperative
singular	āht
plural	āhtaþ
participle	present	past
	āgende	(ġe)āgen

Descendants

• English: owe (present tense), ought (past tense), own (past participle)

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Swedish

Noun

agan

1. definite singular of aga