A Gothic Grammar

Note 5. In derivativ words h occurs in certain cases beside k (s. § 58 (#para_58), n. 2) and g (§ 66 (#para_66), n. 1).

ƕ

§ 63. The sound of ƕ is peculiar to the Gothic, and has no equivalent in Gr. The Gothic sign (whose alfabetic position is that of the Greek ψ) is uzually exprest by hv (hw), because all the corresponding words of the remaining Germanic languages (at least initially) hav hw (hu, hv); as, Goth. ƕeits = OHG. hwîz, OS. OE. hwît, ON. hvîtr, white. But there ar reasons which justify the assumption that the Goth. ƕ was a simpl consonant. Fonetically, it may be regarded as a labialized h (or a voiceless w = NE. wh? Grundr., I, 411). It is therefore recommendabl to represent the simpl Gothic sign by the unitary ligature ƕ. Cp. Zs. fdph., 12, 481 et seq.; Beitr., 12, 218 et seq.

Note. ƕ and hw ar not identical in Gothic. This is proved by the fact that in composition the final h and the following initial w ar not exprest by ƕ, but by hw: þaírhwakandans, keeping wach (thruout); Lu. II, 8; ubuhwôpida (= uf-uh-wôpida; ufwôpida < uf-wôpjan), and he cried out; Lu. XVIII, 38. – The simpl sound of ƕ is also evident from the fact that the verb saíƕan is inflected like the verbal stems ending in a singl consonant (§ 34 (#para_34), n. 1), and that in reduplication ƕ is treated like a singl consonant (ƕaíƕôp, § 178 (#litres_trial_promo)). Cp. Holtzmann, altd. gr. I, 25, together with § 41 (#para_41), n. 1, abuv.

§ 64. Exampls of ƕ: initially: ƕas, who; ƕaírnei, f., skul; ƕaírban, to walk about; ƕeila, time; ƕôpan, to boast; ƕeits, white; ƕaiteis, wheat; – medially: aƕa, water; saíƕan, to see; leiƕan, to lend; þeiƕô, thunder; nêƕa, near; aíƕa-tundi, f., brambl-bush; – also finally: saƕ, saƕt (prt. of saíƕan), nêƕ, near.

Note. i and u ar broken before ƕ as wel as before h; cp. § 62 (#para_62), n. 1.

§ 65. g corresponds to Greek γ, also as a guttural nasal; as, synagôgê, συναγωγή; aggilus, ἄγγελος. – The pronunciation of the Gothic initial g was quite certainly that of a soft (voiced) stop; final and medial g was possibly a spirant.

Note 1. Latin authors render g in Gothic names by g, but also by c; as, Caina beside Gaina (Jornandes), Commundus (= Gummundus); medially, especially before i, it is often dropt; as, Eila beside Agila, Egila, Aiulf (= Aigulf), Athanaildus (= Athanagildus); cp. Dietrich, p. 73 et seq.

Note 2. For the pronunciation of medial g as a spirant the Latin representations may be adduced (cp. especially Wrede, 'Ostg.', 173 et seq.); but this is contradicted by the fact that final g does not becum h (cp. b-f, d-þ). Jellinek (Beitr., 15, 276 et seq.; Zs. fda., 36, 85) infers a 'media affricata' for the pronunciation of medial and final g; then the value of a stop seems more probabl (cp. Wilmanns, D. Gramm., I, 16).

§ 66. g occurs frequently in Goth. words, both initially and medially. E. g. (a) gasts, guest; guma, man; gulþ, gold; gôþs, good; giutan, to pour; greipan, to gripe, seiz; graban, to dig. (b) agis, aw; wigs, way; gawigan, to move; steigan, to mount; ligan, to lie; þragjan, to run; —augô, ey; tagr, tear; tigus, ten; aigan, to hav; suffixal g: mahteigs, mighty; môdags, angry.

Also final g remains unchanged: ôg, I fear; mag, I can; wig (acc. of wigs, way), etc.

Note. g becums h before a suffixal t attacht to it (§ 81 (#para_81)); e. g., mahts, mahta (prs. mag), ôhta (prs. ôg), baúhta (inf. bugjan), brâhta (inf. briggan). But there seems to be no change of consonants before the t of the 2nd pers. prt. Only magt (1st mag) is found (201). – Also elsewhere in word-formation an interchange between h and g takes place in words belonging to the same root: taíhun, 10; and tigus, decad; filhan, to conceal, and fulgins, adj., hidn; faginôn, to rejoice, and fahêþs f., joy; huggrjan, to hunger, and hûhrus, hunger; juggs, yung; compar. jûhiza; concerning the interchange between áig and áih, s. § 203 (#litres_trial_promo), n. 1. Cp. § 79 (#para_79), n. 2.

§ 67. g denotes also a guttural nasal (s. § 50 (#para_50)); e. g., (n + g): laggs, long; briggan, to bring; tuggô, tung; figgrs, finger; gaggan, to go; – (n + k, q): drigkan, to drink; þagkjan, to think; þugkjan, to seem; igqis, (to) yu both; sigqan, to sink; stigqan, to thrust.

Note 1. Beside the singl letter g uzed to express the guttural nasal, gg is sumtimes found (so regularly in codex B): siggqan, driggkan, iggqis; g is not dubld before g; the only case, atgagggand (Mt. IX, 15) is corrected by the editors. The reverse error occurs three times: faúragagja (for faúragaggja, steward); Lu. VIII, 3. XVI, 1; hugridai (for huggridai); I. Cor. IV, 11. Cp. Vulfila by Bernhardt, p. LI.

Note 2. The Latin sign (n) for the guttural nasal occurs but a few times in Lu.; as, þank; XVII, 9; bringiþ; XV, 22.

§ 68. The combination ggw deservs special notice. (1) It is a guttural nasal + gw, as is proved by the ng of the remaining Germanic languages (also of the ON.): aggwus, narrow (OHG. engi, ON. ǫngr); siggwan, to sing (OHG. singan, ON. syngva); saggws, song. Here perhaps belongs also unmanariggws, unrestraind, wild (cognate with OHG. ringi? Dtsch. Litteraturzeitg. 1888, p. 770).

(2) Another ggw corresponds to West-Germanic uw (OHG. uu or uuu; cp. ahd. gr., §§ 112 (#para_112). 113 (#Page_48)), to ON. gg(v); this gg certainly denotes a stop: triggws, faithful (OHG. triuwi, ON. tryggr); bliggwan, to beat (OHG. bliuwan); *glaggwus, exact (OHG. glauwêr, ON. glǫggr); skuggwa, mirror (ON. skyggja; cp. Goth. skawjan).

Note. Concerning the ggw of the words givn under (2) and the analogous ddj (§ 73 (#para_73), n. 1), cp. Beitr., IX, 545; Göttinger Nachrichten, 1885, No. 6; Brgm., I, 157; Scherer, 'Kleinere Schriften', I, p. XII et seq. – Concerning the East-Gothic names Triggua, Trigguilla, s. Wrede, 'Ostg.', 78 et seq.

3. Dentals

t

§ 69. Gothic t corresponds to Greek τ, and stands frequently both initially and medially. E. g. (a) initially: tunþus, tooth; triu, tree; tuggô, tung; tagr, tear; taíhun, ten; twai, two; tamjan, to tame; trauan, to trust. st: steigan, to mount. (b) medially: watô, water; haírtô, hart; baitrs, bitter; itan, to eat; giutan, to pour; sitan, to sit; witan, to know.

Final t remains unchanged; as, wait, I know; at, at; wit, we two.

Note 1. t is dubld in atta, father; skatts, muney.

Note 2. t before t in derivativ and inflected words becums s (§ 81 (#para_81)); as, ushaista, very poor (cp. haitan); blôstreis, wurshipper (cp. blôtan, to wurship); 2nd pers. sg. prt. waist (1st wait), haíhaist (inf. haitan, to be calld); weak prt. gamôsta (1st pers. gamôt); kaupasta (inf. kaupatjan, to cuf); wissa (< wista, 1st wait).

§ 70. Gothic þ corresponds to Gr. θ (as, Þômas, Θωμᾶς; Naþan, Ναθάν); its sound-value was that of a voiceless dental spirant = the NE. surd th in thin. Also the Greek θ denoted at that time, as it stil does in New Greek, a similar sound.

Note 1. Greek authors represent the Goth. þ by θ; as, Θευδέριχος. Latin writers express Goth. þ mostly by th; as, Theodoricus, Theodomirus, but also often by t. Cp. Wrede, 'Wand.', 104; 'Ostg.', 170 et seq. – In like manner sum later prints hav th for þ (s. § 1 (#para_1), n. 3).

Note 2. Latin authors often uze d beside th for medial þ in proper nouns, from which a later softening may be inferd. Cp. Wrede, 'Ostg.', 171.

Note 3. Concerning the sound-value of Germanic-Goth. þ, cp. IF. 4, 341 et seq.; for the relation between Goth. þ and Gr. θ, s. Wimmer, 'Die Runenschrift', 268.

§ 71. þ in Gothic words is very frequent. E. g. (a) initially: þulan, to suffer; þanjan, to strech; ga-þaírsan, to wither; þaúrsus, witherd; þaúrstei, thirst; þata (prn.), that; þu, thou; þreis, three; þliuhan, flee; ga-þláihan, to cumfort, console; þwahan, to wash. (b) medially: brôþar, brother; tunþus, tooth; wiþrus, lam; fraþi, n., understanding; fraþjan, to understand; anþar, other; ƕaþar, 'uter'; waírþan, to becum; qiþan, to say. (c) Also final þ remains unchanged; as, þiuþ, n., good (gen. þiuþis); qaþ, prt. of qiþan; aiþs, acc. aiþ, oath.

Note 1. þþ occurs in aiþþau, or (§ 20 (#Page_10)), and, by assimilation, for h-þ: niþþan, etc.; s. § 62 (#para_62), n. 3.

Note 2. þ finally and before the s of the nom. very often stands for d, and must be kept apart from the þ mentiond under (c) which remain þ medially also; s. § 74 (#para_74).

Note 3. þ becums s before t (§ 81 (#para_81)); e. g., 2nd pers. sg. prt. qast (inf. qiþan), warst (inf. waírþan), snaist (inf. sneiþan, to cut).

Note 4. d stands for medial þ in weitwôdida, testimony; Jo. III, 32.

d

§ 72. Goth. d corresponds to Greek δ. The New Greek pronunciation of δ is that of a soft (voiced) dental spirant (ð = NE. th in thou). Gothic d, at least medially after a vowel, likewise had the sound-value of this spirant. But d initially and medially after n, r, l, z, has the value of a soft (voiced) stop.

§ 73. Examples of d: (a) initially: daúr, n., door, gate; daúhtar, daughter; dal, dale, valley; dauns, odor; daddjan, to suckl; ga-daúrsan, to dare; driusan, to fall; dwals, foolish. (b) medially: sidus, custom; wadi, n., wager; midjis, 'medius'; widuwô, widow; biudan, to offer; bindan, to bind; haírda, herd; waldan, to rule; mizdô, reward; fadar, father; frôdei, understanding (cp. frôþs, frôdis, intelligent); fidwôr, four; þridja, 'tertius'; þiuda, peple; -ida, as in auþida, desert; gahugds, mind; gards, house (yard); hardus, hard; hund, hundred; and, on, in; alds, age (cp. alþeis, old), kalds, cold; gazds, sting.

Note. In Gothic words dd is found only in waddjus, wall (ON. veggr); daddjan, to suckl; twaddjê (gen. of twai, 2; ON. tweggja); iddja, I went; hense always in the combination ddj. – Cp. § 68 (#para_68), n. 1; and Brgm., I, 127.

§ 74. Finally and before the s of the nominativ d remains only after a consonant; e. g., hund, nimand (3d pers. pl. prs.), gards, alds, gazds, gahugds. But postvocalic d becuming final (and before the s of the nominativ) is changed into þ, because þ denotes the hard sound corresponding to d. Such eufonic þs from medial ds constitute the greater number of the Gothic final þs, the smaller number ar original (also medial) þs. (§ 71 (#para_71), n. 2). E. g.

staþs, stadis, place (but *staþs, staþis, shore); haubiþ, haubidis, hed; liuhaþ, liuhadis, light; frôþs, frôdis, wise; gôþs, gôdis, good; báuþ, prt. of biudan; bidjan, to pray, prt. baþ; – all pps. of wvs.; as, nasiþs, nasidis; salbôþs, salbôdis; furthermore all final þs in verbal inflection (3d pers. sg., 2nd pl.); as, nimiþ, nêmuþ, nêmeiþ, – but with enclitic -uh: nimiduh, nêmuduh, nêmeiduh; – advs. like ƕaþ, whither (cp. § 213 (#litres_trial_promo)); prep. miþ, with.

Note 1. The change of final d into þ does not occur in all cases in our manuscripts. This exception does not concern the original text of Wulfila, but is only a deviation from the normal state of orthografy, which is proved by the fact that final d occurs exceedingly often only in Lu., especially in the first ten chapters, not quite rarely also in Jo., more rarely in the other books. Exampls from the sixth chapter of Lu. ar: samalaud (34), gôds (35. 43), gôd (43), mitads (38), ptc. gamanwids (40), gasulid, and especially frequently verbal forms: taujid (2), ussuggwud (3), faginôd, laikid (23), habaid (24), usbaírid (45), etc. – Sinse yunger forms of speech ar a characteristic feature of the gospel of Lu. (§ 221 (#litres_trial_promo), 1), they might be regarded as representativs of a later development of the Goth. language, introduced into our text by sum writers (for similar cases in East-Gothic names, s. Wrede, 'Ostg.', 171). Others explain the forms with final d as being due to their original position before words beginning with a vowel according to which the forms nimiþ and nimid would be 'dublets' ('satzdubletten'). – Cp. also Kock, Zs. fda., 26, 226 et seq., who shows that these ds for þs ar most frequent after unaccented vowels (as in mitads), but after an accented vowel only when the latter is long or a difthong, rarely after a short accented vowel (as in mid; Lu. VII, 11.)

Note 2. Sinse the final þ has by all means to be regarded as the regular one, it must also be employd in words of which only forms with medial d occur: biuþs, biudis, table; rauþs, red; usdauþs, zelous; gamaiþs, maimd; môþs, anger; knôþs, stock, race. Hense also garaiþs, redy; unlêds, poor, which, beside the forms with medial b, hav onse each the final forms garaid and unlêds, respectivly. But both forms occur in Lu.

With final d only ar repeatedly found: weitwôds, witness, acc. weitwôd; twice gariuds (gariud), honorabl; only one final form with d (but none with þ) occurs in braids, broad; dêds, deed; wôds, mad, possest; grids, step, grade; skaískaid (prt. of skaidan). The normal forms would be dêþs, wôþs, etc., for the forms with d insted of þ ar hardly due to anything else but unfavorabl transmission.

Note 3. The occurrence of this final þ for thematic d must not be confounded with that of þ in words that hav also medial þ beside d in other words from the same root; as, frôd- (nom. frôþs), prudent; frôdei, prudence; but fraþi, understanding, fraþjan, to understand; sad- (nom. saþs), satisfied, but ga-sôþjan, to satisfy; sinþs, a going, way, but sandjan, to send; alds, age, but alþeis, old. Cp. § 79 (#para_79), n. 2.

Note 4. þ is seldom found where medial d is expected; as, guþa (for guda); Gal. IV, 8; unfrôþans; Gal. III, 3.

§ 75. The d of the weak preterit, which stands mostly after vowels (nasida, habaida), remains intact after l and n (skulda, munda), while after s, h, f it becums t: kaupasta, môsta, daúrsta, þâhta, brâhta, þûhta, brûhta, waúrhta, baúhta, ôhta, mahta, áihta, þaúrfta; it is changed into þ in kunþa; ss is assimilated from st in wissa.

Conform to this rule ar the respectiv ptcs. nasiþs, habaiþs, skulds, munds, but waúrhts, baúhts, mahts, binaúhts, þaúrfts, kunþs. Cp. § 187 (#litres_trial_promo), n. 1; § 197 (#litres_trial_promo) et seq.; §§ 208 (#litres_trial_promo). 209 (#litres_trial_promo).

Note. d becums s before the t of the 2nd pers. prt. (§ 81 (#para_81)): baust (1st bauþ, inf. biudan); so, also, before consonants in derivativ words; as, gilstr, tax, tribute (< gildan); usbeisns, expectation (< usbeidan, to abide, expect).

s

§ 76. s is a hard (voiceless) dental spirant and corresponds to Gr. σ. s occurs very often in Gothic words, especially initially. E. g.

(a) initially: sunus, sun; sitan, to sit; skadus, shade; speiwan, to spit; standan, to stand; straujan, to strew; slêpan, to sleep; smals, small; snutrs, wise; swaíhra, father-in-law.