*aikaną

From pre-Germanic *h₂oyḱ-n-, an o-grade nasal derivative of Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eyḱ-, the same root as *aiganą. Via Kluge’s Law the *-kn- became geminate *-kk-, later shortening after the diphthong, giving root *aik- (Kroonen 2013: 10). Kroonen’s account fits the broader n-stem/nasal-suffix pattern in which Kluge’s Law operates when suffixal *-n stands directly after a root-final obstruent, especially in zero-grade suffixal forms; this yields paradigmatic alternations of singletons and geminates in Germanic. The semantic development is straightforward: ‘possess, have as one’s own’ → ‘take/claim as one’s own’. A cognate is Sanskrit ईष्टे (īṣṭe) (Mallory & Adams 1997: 270; Watkins 2011: s.v. aik-). Related to *aiganą, *aiginōną, *aigǭ, *aigô,*aihtiz, and *aihtrōną.