Etymology

cp. OIcel (í) gegn ‘against, opposite, contrary to, in turn’ next to OE gēan- (gēagn), in on-gegn, on-gēan  'against'; Old Norse input is suggested by lack of palatalization of /ɡ/. See also agayn (adv.) and gayn (adj.), etc. with which it may ultimately share a stem.

PGmc Ancestor

*gagni-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

(í) gegn 'in opposition, against, in return'
(ONP gegn (1) (sb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far (í)gegn, Icel gegn, Dan igen, OSw gen

OE Cognate

gēan- (gēagn), cp. on-gegn, on-gēan 'against'

Phonological and morphological markers

absence of palatalization of */ɡ/

Summary category

A1*c

Attestation

Spellings reliably representing /ɡ/ are cited by MED in a handful of N/EM texts.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pe 138

Bibliography

MED yẹ̄n (prep.)[ http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED53841&egs=all&egdisplay=open], OED gain (prep.)[ http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/76055?isAdvanced=false&result=11&rskey=ts2L1r&], HTOED , Bj. 151, de Vries gegn (2), Mag. gegn (2), Orel *ʒaʒnē, AEW gegn (2)