*-(i)janą¹
Runic: (ᛁ)ᛃᚨᚾᚨ Pronunciation: /i.jɑ.nɑ̃/suffix · forms verbs · Weak class 1
Function
- forms Weak class 1 verbs from nouns and adjectives, especially denominals meaning ‘act as, use, provide, or be associated with X’ and factitives meaning ‘make X, cause to become X’
- forms causative verbs from strong verbs, with the sense ‘cause to X’
Etymology
From a Proto-Germanic j-present stem + the infinitive ending *-aną. The j-present suffix had several pre-Germanic sources that fell together in PGmc to form a single suffix: among them were inherited and derived Proto-Indo-European *-yé/ó- or *-ye/o-presents, denominals from o-stem nouns in PIE *-e-yé/ó-, and deverbal causatives in PIE *-éye/o- (Ringe 2017: 200–201). In denominal and factitive verbs, *-janą reflects the Germanic continuation and leveling of PIE y-present and denominative formations. Compare Sanskrit denominatives in -यति (-yáti) and, more broadly, Greek and Latin derived-verb classes continuing or remodeling the same *-yé/ó- and *-eye/o- complex. In causatives, the source is specifically PIE *-éye/o-, as also reflected in Sanskrit causatives in -अयति (-áyati) and, with later branch-specific remodeling, in formations such as Proto-Slavic *-iti causatives and some Greek -έω (-éō), and Latin -ēre and -īre verbs (Fulk 2018: 294–96;Ringe 2017: 200–201, 281–84).
Conjugation
The suffix varies as *-janą /*-ijaną based on Siever’s Law: the basic *-janą form is used after a “light” syllable (a short vowel followed by a single consonant), and otherwise, the form becomes *-ijaną. In causatives from strong verbs, the root normally has the o-grade corresponding to the strong preterite singular, while a root-final obstruent affected by Verner’s Law appears in its voiced alternant because the original causative suffix *-éye/o- was accented. Thus the causative often combines the preterite-singular vowel of the strong verb with the Verner alternant of the root-final consonant, as in *rīsaną (‘to scale; move vertically (either up or down)’) / *rais (1st person singular preterite) → *raizijaną (‘to cause (someone, something) to rise; raise’).
Paradigm
Present active
| Person | Indicative | Subjunctive | Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -jō, -ijō | -jaų, -ijaų | - |
| 2nd singular | -isi, -īsi | -jais, -ijais | -i, -ī |
| 3rd singular | -iþi, -īþi | -jai, -ijai | -jaþau, -ijaþau |
| 1st dual | -jōs, -ijōs | -jaiw, -ijaiw | - |
| 2nd dual | -jaþiz, -ijaþiz | -jaiþiz, -ijaiþiz | -jaþiz, -ijaþiz |
| 1st plural | -jamaz, -ijamaz | -jaim, -ijaim | - |
| 2nd plural | -iþ, -īþ | -jaiþ, -ijaiþ | -iþ, -īþ |
| 3rd plural | -janþi, -ijanþi | -jain, -ijain | -janþau, -ijanþau |
Present passive
| Person | Indicative | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -jai, -ijai | - |
| 2nd singular | -jasai, -ijasai | -jaisau, -ijaisau |
| 3rd singular | -jaþai, -ijaþai | -jaiþau, -ijaiþau |
| 1st dual | - | - |
| 2nd dual | - | - |
| 1st plural | -janþai, -ijanþai | -jainþau, -ijainþau |
| 2nd plural | -janþai, -ijanþai | -jainþau, -ijainþau |
| 3rd plural | -janþai, -ijanþai | -jainþau, -ijainþau |
Past
| Person | Indicative | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -idǭ | -idēdį̄ |
| 2nd singular | -idēz | -idēdīz |
| 3rd singular | -idē | -idēdī |
| 1st dual | -idēdū | -idēdīw |
| 2nd dual | -idēdudiz | -idēdīdiz |
| 1st plural | -idēdum | -idēdīm |
| 2nd plural | -idēdud | -idēdīd |
| 3rd plural | -idēdun | -idēdīn |
Non-finite Forms
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| -(i)janą | -jandz, -ijandz | -idaz |
Descendants
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*-jan (Proto-West Germanic)
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-en, -ien (Old Dutch)
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-en (Middle Dutch)
- -en (Dutch)
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-en (Middle Dutch)
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-en, -ien (Old Dutch)
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*-jan (Proto-West Germanic)
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-an, -ian (Old English)
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-en, -ien (Middle English)
- -y (English)
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-en, -ien (Middle English)
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-an, -ian (Old English)
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*-jan (Proto-West Germanic)
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-a, -ia (Old Frisian)
- -e, -je (Saterland Frisian)
- -e, -je (West Frisian)
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-a, -ia (Old Frisian)
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*-jan (Proto-West Germanic)
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-en, -ien (Old High German)
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-en (Middle High German)
- -en (German)
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-en (Middle High German)
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-en, -ien (Old High German)
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*-jan (Proto-West Germanic)
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-ian (Old Saxon)
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-en (Middle Low German)
- -en (Low German)
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-en (Middle Low German)
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-ian (Old Saxon)
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-a/-ja (Old Norse)
- -a/-ja (Faroese)
- -a/-ja (Icelandic)
- -a/-ja (Swedish)
- -𐌾𐌰𐌽 (-jan) (Gothic)