Etymology

Cp. OIcel byggiligr 'habitable', formed on the ON v. represented by OIcel byggja which is accounted for as a product of Verschärfung and thus probably < a PGmc *ƀewwjan- or *ƀuwwjan- (see bigge).

PGmc Ancestor

*ƀewwjan- or *ƀuwwjan-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

byggiligr 'habitable'
(ONP byggiligr (adj.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Sharpening of ON /ggw/ &lt; PGmc */ww/

Summary category

A1*bc

Attestation

The adj. is much less common than the v. and MED’s citations are predominantly from the N/EM. OED and EDD cite usage in Sc dial. of MnE.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pe 963

Bibliography

MED biglī (adj.)[ http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED4477&egs=all&egdisplay=open], OED bigly (adj.)[ http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/18884?result=1&rskey=KSmGy9&], HTOED , EDD bigly (adj.)