Reconstruction talk:Proto-Germanic/þekwōną

þekwōną

May I suggest that the cited form, þekwōną, is a late form, and that in PGmc there was a distinction between the transitive (causative) verb and the intransitive verb:

• þekwāną – weak verb 3 – intransitive – to become thick

• þikwijaną – weak verb 1 – transitive – to make thick

… and that this distinction was lost when both verbs merged as *þekwōną at a later stage in PGmc or PWGmc, > OE þiccian.

In defence of this proposition, I will point out that OE þiccian is shown in Bosworth-Toller as transitive (to make thick) and intransitive (to become thick); and that there is a tendency for weak verbs of other conjugations (classes 1 and 3) to shift into class 2 over time.

2001:8003:3417:5F00:1C41:26F4:9AB:35CC 04:00, 28 June 2023 (UTC)

OHG has both dikkōn (“to make thick, condense”) and dikkēn (“to thicken, become thick”), and Old Norse has þjokkva (“to make thick”, weak 2 verb), so a weak 2 verb was likely an original. Leasnam (talk) 04:15, 28 June 2023 (UTC)

There is also another reconstruction you may be interested in (if you have not yet seen it) at *þikkwēn, which also lists Old English þiccian as a descendant. Leasnam (talk) 04:19, 28 June 2023 (UTC)