Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/rakō

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɑ.kɔː/

From Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct”), probably equivalent in exact formation to the "argument" sense of Etymology 2.^[1]

*rakō f

1. direction, course, path, track

• *rakōną

• *rakaz

• Old English: racu
  • Middle English: rake; raike, rayke (through confluence with Old Norse reik)
    • Scots: rak, rack, raik
    • English: rake, rack (path, track, furrow)

A nominalization of *rakaz (“straight, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct”).^[2]

*rakō f

1. an unwinding, unravelling, an unfolding
2. a narrative, account, tale, story
3. argument, reasoning

• *rakaz
• *rakjaną

• Old English: racu; reahtiġan
  • Middle English: rake
    • English: rake
• Old Saxon: raka
• Old High German: rahha, racha
  • Middle High German: rache
• Proto-Norse: *ᚱᚨᚲᚢ (*raku)
  • Old Norse: rǫk
    • Icelandic: rök
• Gothic: *𐍂𐌰𐌺- (*rak-) (uncertain lemma; possibly attested in given names)

Related to *rekaną (“to rake”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct”).^[3]

*rakō f

1. a device used for straightening; rake (implement)

• Old English: racu; (raca; ræce)
  • Middle English: rake
    • Scots: rak
    • English: rake
• Old Saxon: raka, reka (possibly through interference with *rekô)
  • Middle Low German: rāke
    • German Low German: Raak
    • Low German: raak
• Old Dutch: *raka
  • Middle Dutch: rāke
    • Dutch: rake, raak; > rakelen; > rakel
• Old Norse: raka; reka (possibly through interference with *rekô)
  • Icelandic: raka; reka
  • Swedish: raka, räka (dialectal)
  • Danish: rage