aug-

To increase. Oldest form *ə₂eug-, colored to *ə₂aug-. Variant *ə₂weg- becoming *(a)weg-.

Derivatives include nickname, auction, and auxiliary.

1. eke¹, from Old English ēacan, ēcan, to increase;

b. nickname, from Old English ēaca, an addition. Both a and b from Germanic *aukan.

2. Variant (metathesized) form *weg- (from *əweg-), extended to *wegs- (o-grade *wogs-).

a. wax²; woodwaxen, from Old English weaxan, to grow, from Germanic *wahsan;

b. waist, from Old English *wæst, growth, hence perhaps waist, size, from Germanic *wahs-tu-.

3. Form *aug-ē-. auction, augend, augment, author, authorize, from Latin augēre, to increase.

4. augur; inaugurate, from Latin augur, diviner (< “he who obtains favorable presage” < “divine favor, increase”).

5. august, from Latin augustus, majestic, august.

6. Suffixed form *aug-s-.

a. auxiliary, from Latin auxilium, aid, support, assistance;

b. auxin, auxesis, from Greek auxein, auxanein, to increase.

 

[Pokorny au̯eg- 84.]

* * *