Etymology

Given the absence of a clearly compound OE <baðe> (etc.) before the 12c., it is standard practice to derive ME boþe, PDE both from ON (thus OED (followed by Nagano 1966: 65–6), Bj., McGee 554–5, TGD, GDS). For the sense ‘both’ OE attests the simplex forms bēgen (masc.), bā (fem.), bū (neut.) (etc.), from a PGmc base *ba- (cp. Go bái, ON gen. pl. beggja), in contrast to the extended form found otherwise in ON (cp. OIcel báðir) which is the only type known in continental WGmc, viz. OFris. bēthe, OS bēthia, OHG beide, bēde (etc.); this seems to have been derived from a compound of *ba- and the demonstrative pron., hence a PrN *bai þaiR (nom. pl.) (and cp. also the Go phrase ba þō).  But the possibility of at least some input from an OE bā + þā has often been acknowledged, particularly in the light of the analogous forms elsewhere in WGmc (thus SPS, who suggests that the native construction may simply have been reinforced by ON influence) or even an entirely native derivation (thus MED, DOE).

PGmc Ancestor

*bai- + *þai-z (etc.)

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

báðir 'both'
(ONP báðir (pron. pl.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far báðir, Icel báðir, Norw både, beggje, Dan både, beggje, Sw både, begga

OE Cognate

bēgen (masc.), bā (fem.), bū (neut.) (etc.) 'both'

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

C4a

Attestation

First clearly recorded in ChronE s.a. 1127, and thereafter common and widespread.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Gaw 18, 111, 129 etc.; Pe 90, 329, 373 etc.; Cl 11, 20, 57 etc.; Pat 36, 134, 136 etc.; Erk 194; WA 88, 177, 492 etc.

Bibliography

MED bōthe (num. (as n., adj., and conj.)) , OED both (adj., conj. and adv.) , HTOED , Dance boþe (adj., pron., adv.), Bj. 108, SPS 89–90, de Vries báðir, Mag. báðir, Bj-L begge, Orel *ƀō(u), Kroonen *ba-, AEW bœ̄gen, DOE bēgen