Wurdahuzdą: Proto-Germanic dictionary — *atgaizazScott K. ShayWardja Presshttps://protogermanic.org/pgmc_atgaizaz
Single-entry extract from the dictionary. Cross-references to other entries point to their identifiers in the full dictionary.
European Prehistory between Celtic and Germanic: The Celto-Germanic Isoglosses Revisited10.1017/9781009261753.018Paulusvan SluisAnders RichardtJørgensenGuusKroonenKristianKristiansenGuusKroonenEskeWillerslevThe Indo-European Puzzle RevisitedCambridge University Press193-24420232026-07-31T23:07:59Zhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/9781009261753%23CN-bp-13/type/book_partISBN: 978-1-009-26175-3 978-1-009-26174-6 978-1-009-26172-2Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch [Old High German dictionaryAlbert L.LloydOttoSpringerVandenhoeck & RuprechtVols. 1–51988Pole-weapons in the Sagas of Icelanders: A comparison of literary and archaeological sourcesJan H.OrkiszActa Periodica Duellatorum 4177–2122016हेषस्missileætgārspear, javelinetgēriron spear, javelinazgēriron spear, javelin*gaiso-spear, javelin*ǵʰois-ó-spear, missile*ǵʰeis-to woundatgeirrlarge spear-like, thrust-oriented weapon
nounmasculinea-stemspear, especially a heavy or thrusting spearhalberd, bill-like polearm (later North Germanic)From *at + *gaizaz. The compound is reflected independently in Old English ætgār, Old Frisian etgēr, Old High German azgēr, and Old Norse atgeirr, supporting Proto-Germanic antiquity Lloyd & Springer 1988: s.v. azgêr. The first constituent probably denotes motion or attack toward/against an opponent: Lloyd and Springer interpret PGmc *at- as marking the spear’s movement against the enemy, rather than simply as an intensifier. Thus, the compound may originally have meant approximately ‘attack spear’ or ‘spear directed against (an enemy)’. Old Norse atgeirr later developed specialized weapon senses and ultimately denoted ‘halberd’ in Icelandic Orkisz 2016: 186–92. The second constituent *gaizaz continues late Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰois-ó-, probably from root *ǵʰeis-; compare Sanskrit हेषस्. Recent work regards Proto-Celtic *gaiso- as probably borrowed from Germanic rather than an inherited cognate van Sluis et al. 2023: 221–22.