Guess the Word in Germanic Conlangs

[Herra Ratatoskr]

It's cognate with slay, but it has undergone some semantic drift in this case.

[shimobaatar]

It's cognate with slay, but it has undergone some semantic drift in this case.

Does it still mean something violent/negative?

[Herra Ratatoskr]

Yes

[shimobaatar]

To clarify, is this a meaning that "slēan" did not have in Old English?

[Herra Ratatoskr]

No, it didn't have the same meaning in Old English. It's less physically violent.

Also, I kind of messed up answering the question you asked about being related to slay. It's a descendent of sleġe, which meant "hit, blow", and is ultimately a derivative of the same root as "slay", but not directly a descendant of Old English slean. Sorry for any confusion that caused.

[shimobaatar]

Oh, no worries! Thanks for the clarification. I figured it was probably a noun since it's the second half of the compound and the whole word is a noun.

Anyway, does it refer to some kind of non-physical aggression?

[Herra Ratatoskr]

If you're being VERY generous with the term "aggression", it probably could, but it probably wouldn't be how most people would think of it.

[shimobaatar]

Hmm…

Is bifje a verb?

[Herra Ratatoskr]

Yes

[shimobaatar]

Is it a weak verb?

[Herra Ratatoskr]

Yes

[spanick]

From bifian “to shake, tremble”?

[Herra Ratatoskr]

Yep, now you have to put the two together and figure out the semantic drift.

[spanick]

I’m guessing it’s “seizure”

[Herra Ratatoskr]

No, but you're definitely headed in the right direction. I imagine that you've got the "sleje" part right, but the the "bifje" part narrowed its meaning some (in a general way compare how specific English "starve" is versus German "sterben").