Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ahjaną

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.

Uncertain. Has been compared to *h₃ekʷ- (“to see”) (by Osthoff) and to Ancient Greek ὄκνος (óknos, “hesitation”) (by Pokorny). Kroonen is unconvinced by the previously-mentioned proposals, and instead suggests it could be identical to *ahjaną (“to graze”), whence Old Norse æja, if the intermediate meaning was “to ruminate”; on the other hand however, he prefers to reconstruct *ahjaną in the "graze" sense as *aiwjaną, which would preclude a relation.^[1]

*ahjaną^[1]

1. to think

• Proto-West Germanic:
  • *ahtu (possibly)

• Gothic: 𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ahjan)