| Old English | Modern English | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Seaxnēat | Saxneat |
| Pronunciation | /sæɑksnæːɑt/ | /ˈsæks.nɛt/ or /ˈsæks.niːt/1The former is much likelier due to the presence of /t/, but the latter can also happen. The spelling is the same regardless. |
| Etymology | Seax: “shortsword, dagger, knife” < Proto-Germanic *sahsą “dagger, knife”. Cognate with Old Frisian sax, Old Saxon sahs, Old Dutch *sas, Old High German sahs, and Old Norse sax. This particular portion is likelier to be in relation to the Saxons themselves, though, known as the Seaxe in Old English.
Nēat: Old English genēat “companion, follower in war” < Proto-Germanic *ganautaz “associate, companion, comrade; follower”. |
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Footnotes
| 1. | ↑ | The former is much likelier due to the presence of /t/, but the latter can also happen. The spelling is the same regardless. |