The Old Frisian syntactic construct
aga te (ought to, shall, must) + gerund has been subject of a study by Jelka Schilt, published in
Aspects of Old Frisian philology (1990, p.391), edited by Rolf H. Bremmer et al. I intend to discuss this study, after an inventory of the use of this construct in the Oera Linda-book (not only in the samples).
Considering the exceptional use in 2d. [012/07], the best fitting
Dutch translation of the word would be 'behoren' (allegedly dreived from
'horen'; to hear), which can be used in two ways:
1) 'behoren aan': belong to/ be owned by;
2) 'behoren te + inf.': ought to + inf.
Note the similarity with ÁGON - eyes, HÁCH - high.
Infinite form is not used, but might have been
ÁCHA*/ HAGA (ought to, shall, must): no present-past variety.
* either with or without the accent; it is sometimes hardly distinguishable
singular:
IK/ ER ÁCH (10x)
/ ER ÁGATH (1x)
THV ACHST(-E/-V) (4x)
plural:
WI/ HJA AGON (8x)
/ ACHON (3x)
/ HAGON (2x)
/ HJA HAGATH (1x)
J HAGATH/ AGHAT (both only one)
The verb ÁCHA is used 31 times, once as a main verb and 30 times as an auxiliary verb, twice of the latter in combination with more than one main verb (fragments 20: 2 and 26: 3). The number of main verbs supported by ÁCHA, therefore, is 33.
Exceptional uses, in order frequency:
1) Verb ACHA
- 1/31 fragment 3 (Frya's Tex): as main verb, meaning 'belong to'.
- 1/31 fragment 4 (Frya's Tex): spelling -GH- (AGHAT); -AT instead of -ATH is also unusual..
- 4/31 fragments 1, 2 (Adela), 20a (Helpers Adela), 21 (Primal Teachings): verb starts with H- (2x HAGATH, 2x HAGON).
- 4/31 fragments 1, 2 (Adela), 3, 4 (Frya's Tex): conjugation ending -ath (1x -at), both for plural and singular.
- 3/13 fragments 7 (Laws 1), 18, (Laws 2), 25 (Liudgert 1): plural form ending -ON is spelled with -CH-: ACHON; the more common form is (H)AGON.
2) Supported main verb
- 1/33 fragment 9 (Minno): without 'TO': MÀN ACH WÉIZARJA. (In fragment 20b. LÉTA also lacks 'TO', but borrows from 20a. TO TELLA.)
- 5/33 fragments 9 (Minno), 16, 18 (Laws 2), 20a, 20b (Helpers Adela): verb does not end with -NDE (found 7x), -NA (found 4x) or -NE (found 17x), rather it is a basic infinitive: WÉIZARJA, SÉKA, FORMYDA, TELLA, LÉTA.
The verbs more than once supported by ACHA are:
- TO LÉTA(NE) (4x),
- TO WÉRANE/-A (3x) and
- TO NVDANDE/ NJODANE/ NJVDANE (3x.)
Fragments in the Oera Linda-book
1. [004/26]
1b. Adela
SA
HAGATH J TO NVDANDE THAT (...) / you [formal or plural] ought to urge
2. [005/02]
1b
AL THISSA
TÀLLINGA HAGATH DÉN TO WERTHANDE / tellings ought to be done
3. [012/07]
2d. Frya's Tex
THJUS ÁGATH WRALDAS GÁST / this
belongs to (...)
4. [013/12]
2d.
ALSA
AGHAT J TO HELPANE HJAM / you [formal or plural] ought to help
5. [018/10]
3a. Laws 1
SA
ÁCH HJU THAM BY STONDA
TO JÉWANE / she ought to give
6. [025/18]
3c3. ,,
SA
ACH THA MÉNA
MÉNTA (...) THAT WITHER
TO HÉLÉNA / community ought to repair
7. [025/27]
3c3.
BY THA FÉSTUM
ACHON HJA FORÁNA
TO SITTANA / they ought to sit
8. [029/29]
4c1. Minno
SA
ACH MAN THÀT RÉDER ÀFTERWÉJA
TO LÉTANE / one ought to leave/let
9. [030/06]
4c1.
SA
ACH MÀN THAT
WÉIZARJA / one ought (to) refuse
10. [030/18]
4c1.
SA
ACH MAN ALLÉNA ALDVLKERA
TO KJASANE / one ought to choose/elect
11. [030/23]
4c1.
SA
AGON THA
ÔRA THAT
TO WÉRANE / others ought to repel
12. [030/31]
4c1. ,,
SÁ
AGON WY MITH HASTE HÉI TO
TO SLANA / we ought to strike
13.[030/32]
4c1.
AFSKÉN
WI ÉLLA
AGON TO DVANDE / we ought to do
14. [037/14]
4d. ,,
THÉRVMBE
ACHSTV TO BIJINNANDE / you ought to begin
15. [041/10]
5a2. Laws 2
THÉRVMBE
ÁCH MÀN TO WÉRANA THÀM / one ought to repel
16. [041/13]
5a2.
JAHWÉDER JONG
KERDEL ÁCH EN BRUD
TO SÉKA / youngh-man ought to seek
17. [041/18]
5a2.
SÁ
ACH EK
MAN HIM UT SIN HUS
TO WÉRANE / man ought to repel
18. [041/20]
5a2.
THA
KNÁPA ACHON HIN
TO FORMYDA / boys ought to avoid
19. [070/27]
9b. Walhallagara
THA
AFTERKVMAND AGON TO WÉTANE THAT (...) / later generations ought to know
20a/b. [087/15]
11c. Helpers Adela
THA
FÁMNA HAGON THAM NÉI HJARA WÍSA
TO TELLA ÀND WEL
BISKRIVE LÉTA / maidens ought to narrate and (to) have described
21. [101/18]
13c2. Primal Teachings
ALSA
HÁGON THA
FÁMNA HJAM FON BUTA
TO LÉRANDE / maidens ought to teach
22. [111/22]
13e2. Apollonia
HO THA
MÀNNISKA AN THÉRE MINNE
AGON TO LÉVANE / men ought to live
23. [118/03]
14b. Frethorik
THÀN
ÁCHSTE SPOD
TO MÁKJANDE / you ought to make
24. [119/23]
14c. ,,
NW WI N MODER HÀVE
AGON WI HJRA RÉD
TO FRÉJANDE / we ought to ask
25. [128/20]
14d2. Liudgert 1
WI ACHON AL FLJUCHTANDE
TO FJUCHTANE / we ought to flee
26a/b/c. [137/15]
15b2. Dela a.k.a. Hellenia
THÀT
MÀN THÉR IN
ÁCH TO DELVANE TO ERANE ÀND
TO SÉJANE / one ought to dig, (to) plow and (to) sow
27. [144/30]
16b1. Konered
VMBE (...)
ÁCH IK DUBBEL
TO WAKANE THAT (...) / I ought to beware
28. [161/08]
16c. Gosa
ALSA
ACHST THV (...) NÉN ÔRE TÁLE OVIR THINA WÉRA NI
KVMA TO LÉTANE / you ought to let come
29. [161/11]
16c.
THÀN
ACHST THV TO NJODANE TILTHJU (...) / you ought to urge
30. [195/12]
19a. unknown abt. Askar
THÉRVMBE
ÁGON WI TO NJVDANE THAT (...) / we ought to urge
31. [197/16]
19a.
ALSA
ÁGON THA
KNÁPA (...) ÀFTERWÉIN
TO LÉTANE / young-men ought to leave/let