Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ōną

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

Etymology

From two sources, both reflecting earlier *-ōjaną:

• From Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti, an innovated compound suffix from *-éh₂ (eh₂-stem noun suffix) + *-yéti (verbal suffix). These were originally formed as denominative verbs from ō-stem nouns. When attached to thematic (a-stem) nouns, the thematic vowel was also retained, but the resulting compound suffix *-eyé- became part of the first weak class instead.
• From Proto-Indo-European *-(e)h₂yéti, an innovated compound suffix from *-(e)h₂ti (factitive verb suffix) which was originally athematic, but later extended with the thematic present suffix *-yéti.

Cognates include Latin -āre (the whole first conjugation in the present) together with its Proto-Italic ancestor *-āō, Ancient Greek -άω (-áō, contracted verb), -अयति (-ayati) (for the causative in Sanskrit), Proto-Celtic *-āti and Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ā́ˀtei (whence the infinite Proto-Slavic *-ati, referring again to the whole conjugation).

Note that Ringe (2017) reconstructs this suffix with a trimoric vowel, *-ôną (or, following his own conventions, *-ō̄ną). See Ringe (2017: 160).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔː.nɑ̃/

Verb

*-ōną

1. Suffix of the infinitive. Creates denominative verbs from nouns.
2. Suffix of the infinitive. Creates factitive verbs from adjectives.

Inflection

Conjugation of *-ōną (weak class 2)

	active voice			passive voice
present tense	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
1st singular	*-ō	*-ǭ	—	*-ōi	?
2nd singular	*-ōsi	*-ōs	*-ō	*-ōsai	*-ōsau
3rd singular	*-ōþi	*-ō	*-ōþau	*-ōþai	*-ōþau
1st dual	*-ōs	*-ōw	—	—	—
2nd dual	*-ōþiz	*-ōþiz	*-ōþiz	—	—
1st plural	*-ōmaz	*-ōm	—	*-ōnþai	*-ōnþau
2nd plural	*-ōþ	*-ōþ	*-ōþ	*-ōnþai	*-ōnþau
3rd plural	*-ōnþi	*-ōn	*-ōnþau	*-ōnþai	*-ōnþau
past tense	indicative	subjunctive
1st singular	*-ōdǭ	*-ōdēdį̄
2nd singular	*-ōdēz	*-ōdēdīz
3rd singular	*-ōdē	*-ōdēdī
1st dual	*-ōdēdū	*-ōdēdīw
2nd dual	*-ōdēdudiz	*-ōdēdīdiz
1st plural	*-ōdēdum	*-ōdēdīm
2nd plural	*-ōdēdud	*-ōdēdīd
3rd plural	*-ōdēdun	*-ōdēdīn
	present	past
participles	*-ōndz	*-ōdaz

Derived terms

Proto-Germanic class 2 weak verbs

• *-ōniz

Descendants

This class eventually became the dominant and most productive verb class in all daughter languages.

• Proto-West Germanic: *-ōn
  • Old English: -ian
    • Middle English: -ien, -en
      • Scots: -e (obsolete)
      • English: -en, -e (obsolete)
  • Old Frisian: -ia
    • North Frisian: -je
    • Saterland Frisian: -je
    • West Frisian: -je
  • Old Saxon: -ōn, -oian
    • Middle Low German: -en
      • Low German: -en
  • Old Dutch: -on
    • Middle Dutch: -en
      • Dutch: -en
  • Old High German: -ōn
    • Middle High German: -en
      • German: -en
• Proto-Norse:
  • Old Norse: -a
    • Danish: -e
    • Icelandic: -a
    • Faroese: -a
    • Norwegian:

      Norwegian Nynorsk: -e, -a

    • Old Swedish: -a
      • Swedish: -a
• Gothic: -𐍉𐌽 (-ōn)