Etymology

The interpretation of MS <reget> at Pe 1064 (‘Þe Lombe þe sakerfyse þer to...’) is contested: (1) It is sometimes taken (thus Goll, Osgood; so too OED3, but citing only MnE examples) as a native formation from Lat re- + gete (< ON geta, see gete (v.)). (2) MED suggests that it could be a n. derived from OF rejet, reget, comparing rejeter (v.) ‘to give up, sacrifice’ (but also gives emendation to *refet as at (3) as a possibility). (3) Some editors (see discussion by text) emend to the v. *refet ‘refresh’ (< AFr, either the pp. refaire or refet adj.), which occurs elsewhere in Pe.

PGmc Ancestor

(1) *getan-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

(1) geta 'get, engender'
(ONP (1) geta (2) (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

(1) Far gita, Icel geta, Norw gita, gjeta, Dan gide, OSw gita, gæta, Sw gitta, Sw dial gäta

OE Cognate

(1) (WS) -gietan, -gitan, -gytan, (Angl) -getan ‘to get, obtain’

Phonological and morphological markers

[absence of palatalization of */ɡ/] (may not be applicable)

Summary category

DD2

Attestation

(1) This would be the only instance in ME (cp. the MnE citations in OED3). On the interpretation of the sense here, see Vant 1064n. See also gete (v.). (2) This would also be a hapax legomenon. (3) The v. refeten is attested several times in MED (inc. in Pe and Pat).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pe 1064

EVG accepts Wright’s suggested emendation to *refet (see 1064n) on the grounds that the sense ‘redeem’ doesn’t fit the context, and MED also allows the possibility that regret is an error for *refet.

Bibliography

MED reǧet (n.)[ http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED36488&egs=all&egdisplay=open], OED3 reget (v.) HTOED ; (1) MED gēten (v.1) , OED3 reget (v.) , Dance gete, Bj. 153, de Vries geta, Mag geta, Bj-L. gjete (1), Orel *ʒetanan, Kroonen *getan-, AEW gietan; (2) DEAF rejeter (v.); (3) MED refē̆ten (v.)[ http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED36392&egs=all&egdisplay=open], OED refete (v.)[ http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/160868?isAdvanced=true&result=8&rskey=mOSwk4&], DEAF refaire (v.)