Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ga-

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed words 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

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“with, near, by, along”). Cognate with Latin cum (“with”).

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 words prefixed with *ga-

Descendants

Because of its perfective sense, it eventually became used as a marker of the past participle in the West Germanic languages.

• Old English: ġe-
  • Middle English: ȝe-, i-, y-
    • English: a-, i-, y-, nothing
• Old Frisian: ge-, e-
• Old Saxon: ga-, gi-, ge-
  • Middle Low German: ge-
    • Low German: ge-, e-
• Old Dutch: gi-, ge-
  • Middle Dutch: ghe-, ge-, (West-Flanders) i-, y-
    • Dutch: ge-
      • Afrikaans: ge-
    • West Flemish: ge-, e-
• Old High German: ga-, gi-
  • Middle High German: ge-
    • German: ge-
    • Yiddish: גע־‏ (ge-)
• Old Norse: g- (rare, found in e.g. gnógr, glíkr, greiðr, granni)
• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰- (ga-)