*-gaz
Runic: ᚷᚨᛉ Pronunciation: /ɣɑz/suffix · forms adjectives · a-stem
Function
forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a sense of 'being, having, or doing'.
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *-ko-s, an adjectival suffix forming words meaning ‘having, characterized by, pertaining to’. The productive Proto-Germanic form *-gaz reflects the suffix-accented form *-kó-s. In this accentual type, the *k > *g by Verner’s Law, because the syllable before *k was not accented (Kluge 1899: 96–100; Ringe 2017: 326).
A small number of Gothic adjectives preserve a non-Verner form *-haz, from forms in which the syllable before *k was accented. Compare Gothic adjectives ending in -𐌰𐌷𐍃 (-ahs): 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌷𐍃 (stainahs), 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳𐌰𐌷𐍃 (waurdahs), and 𐌿𐌽𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌰𐌷𐍃 (unbarnahs). These show that PGmc originally had both *-(V)haz and *-(V)gaz, but the voiced form *-(V)gaz became the normal productive suffix via analogical leveling (Kluge 1899: 96–100).
Suffixes with a similar derivation to this one are *-agaz, *-īgaz, and *-ugaz. Cognates of this suffix include Latin -cus, Ancient Greek -κός (-kós), and Sanskrit -कस (-kasa).
Paradigm
Strong declension
| Case | Sg. Masc. | Sg. Fem. | Sg. Neut. | Pl. Masc. | Pl. Fem. | Pl. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | -gaz | -gō | -gą, -atō | -gai | -gôz | -gō |
| Acc. | -ganǭ | -gǭ | -gą, -atō | -ganz | -gōz | -gō |
| Gen. | -gas, -is | -gaizōz | -gas, -is | -gaizǫ̂ | -gaizǫ̂ | -gaizǫ̂ |
| Dat. | -gammai | -gaizōi | -gammai | -gaimaz | -gaimaz | -gaimaz |
| Inst. | -ganō | -gaizō | -ganō | -gaimiz | -gaimiz | -gaimiz |
Weak declension
| Case | Sg. Masc. | Sg. Fem. | Sg. Neut. | Pl. Masc. | Pl. Fem. | Pl. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | -gô | -gǭ | -gô | -ganiz | -gōniz | -gōnō |
| Acc. | -ganų | -gōnų | -gô | -ganunz | -gōnunz | -gōnō |
| Gen. | -giniz | -gōniz | -giniz | -ganǫ̂ | -gōnǫ̂ | -ganǫ̂ |
| Dat. | -gini | -gōni | -gini | -gammaz | -gōmaz | -gammaz |
| Inst. | -ginē | -gōnē | -ginē | -gammiz | -gōmiz | -gammiz |
Descendants
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*-g, *-ag, *-ig, *-īg (Proto-West Germanic)
-
*-ag, -ig (Old Dutch)
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-ich, -ech (Middle Dutch)
- -ig (Dutch)
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-ich, -ech (Middle Dutch)
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*-ag, -ig (Old Dutch)
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*-g, *-ag, *-ig, *-īg (Proto-West Germanic)
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-iġ, -iċ, -eġ (Old English)
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-iȝ, -i, -y, -ich (Middle English)
- -y, -ey, -ie (English)
- -ie (Scots)
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-iȝ, -i, -y, -ich (Middle English)
-
-iġ, -iċ, -eġ (Old English)
-
*-g, *-ag, *-ig, *-īg (Proto-West Germanic)
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-ich (Old Frisian)
- -ich (Saterland Frisian)
- -ich (West Frisian)
-
-ich (Old Frisian)
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*-g, *-ag, *-ig, *-īg (Proto-West Germanic)
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-ag, -ig, -īg (Old High German)
-
-ig (Middle High German)
- -ig, -ich (German)
- -eg (Luxembourgish)
- ־יק (-ik), ־יג (-ig) (Yiddish)
-
-ig (Middle High German)
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-ag, -ig, -īg (Old High German)
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*-g, *-ag, *-ig, *-īg (Proto-West Germanic)
-
-ag, -ig (Old Saxon)
-
-ig, -ich (Middle Low German)
- -ig (Low German)
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-ig, -ich (Middle Low German)
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-ag, -ig (Old Saxon)
-
-agr, -igr, ugr (Old Norse)
- -ig (Danish)
- -agur, -igur, -ugur (Faroese)
- -agur, -igur, -ugur (Icelandic)
- -ag, -ig, -ug (Norwegian)
- -og, -ig (Swedish)
- -𐌲𐍃 (-gs), -𐌰𐌲𐍃 (-ags), -𐌰𐌷𐍃 (-ahs), -𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-eigs), -𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-igs), -𐌿𐌲𐍃 (-ugs) (Gothic)