Re: A new Saxnot etymology

Working with Brian's etymology, I have a few more questions:

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...> wrote:
>
> What you actually have are OSax <Saxno:te> in a context
> that apparently makes it a dative singular, so the
> nominative is <Saxno:t>, and OE <Seaxne:at>. Those are
> consistent with a PGmc a-stem *sahsa-nautaz.
>
> it'll be kin to ON <nautr> 'a mate, a
> fellow; the giver of a gift; the gift itself' and OE
> <(ge)ne:at> 'companion, follower, tenant', not English
> <need>; the sense would presumably be something like
> 'sword-mate, sword-companion'.
>
> Brian

First of all, I assume Brian is correct (because I'm incompetent with
linguistics, trust everyone smarter than myself, and no one has
challenged the etymology) ... about the Proto-Gmc stem being
something akin to *nautaz-

In Watkins AHDIER, Middle Dutch ghenot `fellow' ,and OHG
ginoz `companion' both stem from the Proto-Gmc compound *ga-
nautaz `he with whom one shares possessions, companion'.

However most of these terms require the initial Gmc element of *ga-
(from the PIE *kom-). Watkins then states the various Teutonic
entries all originate from the Gmc *Nautam `thing of value,
possession'.


The "Old Frisian etymological database" (the evidence of R1)
[Boutkan] states:
In Germanic we also find the following derivations of the root *neut-
: P-Gmc. *neut-a-: Goth. niutan 'attain, enjoy, obtain, catch', ON
njo´ta, OE nŒotan, OS niotan, OHG niozan, MHG niezen, (ge-niezen),
MLG ge-nŒten, nŒten, MDu. genieten, geneeten, 'enjoy', also OFris.
niata P-Gmc. *neut-a- (adj.): OHG in giniuz 'without disadvantage' P-
Gmc. *neut-a- (m): ON njótr 'user' P-Gmc. *neut-i- (adj.): ON
ny´tr 'useful, excellent' P-Gmc. *naut-a- (n): see 2)nat P-Gmc. *naut-
ja- (n): ON neyti 'use, profit' P-Gmc. *naut-eja-: ON neyta 'to use',
also OFris. nŒta P-Gmc. *naut-n¡- (f): ON nautn 'use' P-Gmc. *naut-
isl¡- (f): ON neyzla 'use' P-Gmc. *nut-a- (n): ON not 'use' P-Gmc.
*nut-i- (m): OHG nuz 'use' P-Gmc. *nut-i- (adj.): see 2)nette P-Gmc.
*nut-¡- (f): OE notu 'use', also OFris. note 'profit'. P-Gmc. *nut-j¡-
(f): ON nyt, OE nytt, 'use' P-Gmc. *nut-on- (m): Goth. nuta 'fisher,
catcher'. P-Gmc. *nut-jon- (m): ON erfe-nyte 'heir'. The original
meaning of the root *neut- is 'to use'. The meanings 'useful'
and 'useful animals' have been directly derived from the original
meaning. A 'companion' was probably a 'fellow user'.


The PIE root etymology database (by S.L.Nikolaev and S.A.Starostin)
gives an extensive entry for PIE *neud- , which when followed to the
Gmc entry gives:
Proto-Germanic: *niutan-, *nutja-, *nutō, *nauta-, *niutia-, *nuta-n,
*niutian-, *nutjōn-
Meaning: enjoy, utilize
Gothic: niutan st. `attain, enjoy', ga-niutan `obtain'; *nuta m. (n)
`catcher, fisherman'; *un-nut-s adj. `foolish, useless'
Old English: nēotan `nehmen, gebrauchen, geniessen'; nytt `wozu
nütze'; nyttian `brauchen, geniessen'; nytt f. `Nutzen'; notu f.
`Ertrag', nēat n. `Stück Rindvieh, Tier'; genēat `Genosse'
Old Saxon: niotan `nehmen, gebrauchen, geniessen'; nutti `wozu
nütze'; notil n. `Kleinvieh'; ginōt `Genosse'; nutti; gi-nōt



So my question is; why is Saxnot always interpreted as `Sword-
companion' or `Saxon-companion', if there is no *ga- element present?
Could it not simply be Sax-not = `Sword-possession', `Sword-of
value' – from Sax-*Nautam , or from one of the other Proto-Gmc
elements above (assuming said Proto-Gmc term could produce both OE
Sax-ne:at and Old Saxon Sax-no:te)???


I'd really appreciate any input or guidance you guys could give!

-Aydan