EnglishNOTE: Later senses (in early Modern and Modern English) are largely by zero derivation (i.e., derivation of one part of speech from another without change of form) from drag entry 2. Though Middle English dragge has clear semantic and phonetic affinity with Old English dragan "to draw entry 1" and dræge "dragnet" (see dray entry 1), the /g/ is difficult to explain. Middle Low German draggen "grappling hook for boarding a ship" and sik draggen an "to board a ship" may well be related, but a
re is no evident explanation for /g/ and the short vowel; borrowing from Old Norse (compare Old Icelandic draga "to drag, pull") would also not result in a preserved /g/. Compare drag entry 2.
NOTE: Later senses (in early Modern and Modern English) are largely by zero derivation (i.e., derivation of one part of speech from another without change of form) from drag entry 2. Though Middle English dragge has clear semantic and phonetic affinity with Old English dragan "to draw entry 1" and dræge "dragnet" (see dray entry 1), the /g/ is difficult to explain. Middle Low German draggen "grappling hook for boarding a ship" and sik draggen an "to board a ship" may well be related, but a