Etymology

Always derived from ON, cp. OIcel egg ‘egg’ < PGmc *ajja-. The Verschärfung evident in the Scandinavian word, cp. Crim. Go (nom. pl.) ada (and without in WGmc, cp. OE ǣg, OS ei, OHG ei) is a secure test of loan.

PGmc Ancestor

*ajja-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

egg ‘egg’
(ONP egg (sb.) (2))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far egg, Icel egg, Norw egg, Dan eg, Sw ägg

OE Cognate

ǣg ‘egg’

Phonological and morphological markers

Sharpening of<em>&nbsp;</em>ON /ggj/ &lt; PGmc */jj/

Summary category

A1*

Attestation

First attested in the 14c; native ei persisted into the 15c.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA  507, 509, 676 etc.

Bibliography

MED eg(ge (n.1) , OED egg (n.) , HTOED , Bj. 36, 195, de Vries egg (2), Mag. egg (2), Orel *ajjaz, Kroonen, *ajja-, AEW ǣg, ǣger-, DOE ǣg