Leggo dall'"Old English Glossary for Beowulf and the Finnesburh Fragment:
licgan, V, lie, lie down, lie low, lie dead; 1588, 3131; licgean, 965, 1429, 3043, 3085; pres. 3 sg. ligeð, 1345, 2746, 2904; pret. 3 sg. læg, 40, 551, 1040 (failed), 1534, 1549, 2054, 2080, 2204, 2217 (stíg under læg), 2389, 2825, 2852, 2979; pret. 3 pl. laégon, 565, lágon, 3050. --Cpd.: á-.
ge-licgan, V, subside; pret. 3 sg. gelæg, 3148 (pluperf.).
ge-licgan è presente nel Beowulf nella forma di passato remoto o piuccheperfetto "gelaeg"
Questo è il passo del Beowulf, dove però il senso non è riferito al coito (sono i venti che si abbassano)
Codice:
XLIII
Him ðá gegiredan Géata léode
Then for him prepared the people of the Geats
ád on eorðan unwáclícne
a pyre on the earth, not trifling,
helmum behongen hildebordum
hung with helmets, with battle-shields,
beorhtum byrnum swá hé béna wæs·
with bright byrnies, as he had requested;
álegdon ðá tómiddes maérne þéoden
they laid then in the midst the famed chieftain,
hæleð híofende hláford léofne·
the lamenting heroes, their belovèd lord;
ongunnon þá on beorge baélfýra maést
then began on the barrow the greatest bale-fire,
wígend weccan· wuduréc ástáh
the warriors to kindle; wood-smoke arose,
sweart ofer swioðole swógende lég
swarthy over the heat, the roaring flame
wópe bewunden --windblond gelæg--
woven with weeping --the tumult of winds lay still--
oð þæt hé ðá bánhús gebrocen hæfde
until it the bone-house had broken
hát on hreðre· higum unróte
hot at heart;
Invece nel "Thesaurus of Old English" (02.01.03.03) si trova:
Words denoting “to have sexual intercourse with” e.g. (ge)licgan (wiÞ, mid), cunnan, etc. [The same section has lots on conception, child-bearing, etc.]
Io propenderei per il "ge" alla tedesca, "che ebbero rapporti sessuali", come da Thesaurus
(tenere presente che sulla materia sono un totale incompetente)