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Gothic:An Introductory

Grammatical Sketch

TimelineBefore 2500 BCE Ind0-European tribal speech probably already divergent.

Proto-Germanic already divided into dialects before our era

Time of attestation:

Gothic: 2nd century CE

Old English: ~700 CE

Old High German: ~800 CE

Old Norse (Old Icelandic): ~1000 CE

Gothic Facts

Goths first referred to by Greek/Roman historians in the 1st & 2nd centuries, CE.

Germanic people apparently from southern Sweden, crossed over to the mouth of the Vistula very early (certainly before the Romans noticed them).

Gothic is the oldest attested Germanic language.

Largest single Gothic document is Bible translation attributed to Gothic bishop Wulfila (~311-383)

Gothic Alphabet

Allegedly invented by Wulfila

Looks pretty Greek, with Latin and Runic borrowings

Letters also functioned as numbers (90 and 900 have no letter value)

Gothic Alphabet

a b g d e q z h þ i k l m n j u p - r s t w f x ƕ

a b g d e q z h v i k l mn j u p y r s t w f c x

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100200300400500600700

o -

o !

800900

Numbers offset by dots in text. If 2 or 3 numbers are combined, their

values are added together: .wkg. = 423.

Pronunciation - Consonants

p, t, k, f, s, z, þ, l, m, n, r, j [j] - normal Germanic values

q = [kw]

b, d, g = [b], [d] word initially and after C, but [ƀ], [ð], medially after vowels:

bairan “carry, bear”, diups “deep” = [b], [d]

giban “give”, bidjan “bid, ask” = [ƀ], [ð]

Pronunciation - Consonants

g = [g] word-initially / after C, [ɣ] medially after a vowel, [x] word-finally (this would restore parallelism with b & d)

giban = [g], daga “day, dat. sing” = [ɣ], dag “day, acc. sg.” = [x]

gg, gk often = [ŋ], drigkan “to drink”, aggilus “angel”, sometimes = [gg] (long consonant) triggws “true”, skuggwa “mirror”

h = [h] word initially, haurn “horn”, [x] elsewhere nahts “night”

Pronunciation - Consonants

ƕ = [hw] / [xw] (following the same logic as h)

ƕan “when” [hwan], but saƕ “saw” [saxw]

w = [w], waurd “word”, except word finally when it was probably closer to [u] waurstw “work”

Pronunciation - Long VowelsOrthography Sound Example Gloss

â [ā] hâhan “hang”

ê [ē] galēsun “gathered”

ai [ē] saian “sow”

ei [ī] galeiþan “go”

ô [ō] stôls “seat, throne”

au [ō] staua “court”

û [ū] ût out

*ai and au represented open (low-mid) vowels

Pronunciation - Short VowelsOrthography Sound Example Gloss

a [a] aggilus “angel”

aí [e] baíran “bear, carry”

i [i] qiman “come”

aú [o] waúrd “word”

u [u] sunus “son”

Pronunciation - DiphthongsOrthography Sound Example Gloss

ái [ai] láisjan “teach”

áu [au] áuso “ear”

iu [iu] diups “deep”

a-stems (masculine)Article Noun

N sa dags hláifs haírdeisA þana dag hláif haírdiG þis dagis háíbis haírdeisD þamma daga hláiba haírdja

N þái dagōs hláibōs haírdjōsA þans dagans hláibans haírdjansG þizē dagē hláibē haírdjīD þáím dagam hláibam hairdjam

“day” “loaf” “herdsman”

Declines like:dags : áiþs “oath”, bagms “tree”, fisks “fish”, fugls “bird”, stáins “stone”, skilliggs “shillings”hláif: láufs “leaf”haírdeis: asneis “the hireling”, bōkareis “scribe”, sipōneis “follower, disciple”

a-stems (neuter)Article Noun

N þata waúrd witoþ hatis kuni gawiA þata waúrd witoþ hatis kuni gawiG þis waúrdis witōdis hatizis kunjis gáujisD þamma waúrda witōda hatiza kunja gáuja

N þō waúrda witōda hatiza kunja gáujaA þō waúrda witōda hatiza kunja gáujaG þizē waúrdē witōdē hatizē kunjē gáujēD þáím waúrdam witōdam hatizam kunjam gáujam

“word” “law” “wrath” “race” “district”

Declines like:waúrd: gulþ “gold”, haúrn “horn”, juk “yoke”, wein “wine”, barn “child”witoþ: háubiþ “head”, liuhaþ “light”, leik “body, corpse”hatis: “riquis “darkness”kuni: awēþi “sheepfold”, badi “bed”gawi: hawi “grass”

o-stems (all feminine)Article Noun

N sō giba bandiA þō giba bandjaG þizōs gibōs bandjōsD þizái gibái bandjái

N þōs gibōs bandjōsA þōs gibōs bandjōsG þizō gibō bandjōD þáím gibōm bandjōm

“gift” “band, bond”

Declines like:giba: bida “request”, graba “ditch”, razda “language”, sáiwala “soul, life”bandi: frijōndi “friend”, háiþi “field”

n-stems (m, f, & n)Masculine Neuter Feminine

N hana haírto managei tuggōA hanan haírto managein tuggōnG hanins haírtins manageins tuggōnsD hanin haírtin managein tuggōn

N hanans haírtōna manageins tuggōnsA hanans haírtōna manageins tuggōnsG hananē haírtanē manageinō tuggōnōD hanam haírtam manageim tuggōm

“cock” “heart” “multitude” “tongue”

Declines like:hana: blōma “flower”, skula “debtor”, haúrnja “trumpeter”haírto: áugadaúrō “window”, kaúrnō “grain”, þaírkō “hole”managei: áiþei “mother”, balþei “boldness”, diupei “depth”tuggō: driusō “slope”, hēþjō “chamber”, mizdō “reward”

i-stems (masc. & fem.)Masculine Feminine

N gards staþs ansts fahēþsA gard staþ anst fahēþG gardis stadis anstáis fahēdáisD garda stada anstái fahēdái

N gardeis stadeis ansteis fahēdeisA gardins stadins anstins fahēdinsG gardē stadē anstē fahēdēD gardim stadim anstim fahēdim

“court” “place” “grace” “joy”

Declines like:gards: arms “arm”, hups “hip”, muns “thought”, sáiws “sea”staþs: brūþfaþs “bridegroom”, juggaláuþs “young man”ansts: andahafts “answer”, mahts “power”, táikns “token”fahēþs: arbáiþs “labor”, manasēþs “man-seed, mankind”

u-stems (masc & fem same)Masculine Feminine

N sunus dauþus handus kinnusA sunu dauþu handu kinnuG sunaus dauþaus handaus kinnausD sunau dauþau handau kinnau

N sunjus dauþjus handjus kinnjusA sununs dauþuns handuns kinnunsG suniwē dauþiwē handiwē kinniwēD sunum dauþum handum kinnum

“son” “death” “hand” “cheek”

Declines like:sunus: fōtus “foot”, magus “boy”, sidus “custom”, tunþus “tooth”, haírus “sword”, faírƕus “world”handus: grundu-wadjus “wall”

Strong VerbsClass Pattern Inf. Pret. Sg. Pret. Pl. Perf.

I -ViC- steigan staig stigum stigans “ascend”

II -VuC- kiusan kaus kusum kusans “choose”

III -r/l/m/n C- wairþan warþ waurþum waurþans “become”

IV -r/l/m/n- stilan stal stēlum stulans “steal”

V -C- giban gaf gēbum gibans “give”

VI -a- faran fōr fōrum farans “travel”

VII redup. lētan lailōt lailōtum lētans “let”

More Strong VerbsClass

I greipan ur-reisan sweiban leiƕan þreihan weihan

"seize" "arise" "cease" "lend" "crowd" "fight"

II biugan ana-biudan us-lūkan af-tiuhan at-tiuhan þliuhan

"bend" "bid" "open" "draw away" "draw to" "flee"

III drigkan hilpan spinnan baírgan ga-þaírsan ƕaírban

"drink" "help" "spin" "hide" "wither" "walk"

IV qiman niman uf-brikan at-baíran ga-taíran

"come" "take" "reject" "bring, offer" "break, destroy"

V bi-gitan diwan bidjan bi-saíƕan ga-fraíhnan

"find" "die" "pray" "look about" "inquire"

VI sakan hafjan standan fraþjan ga-daban

"rebuke" "raise" "stand" "understand" "be fitting"

VII áukan (aiáuk) slepan (saíslep) skáidan (skaískáiþ) saian (saíso)

"increase" "sleep" "sever" "sow"

Verb Conjugation - PresentSG 1 nima biuda haita

2 nimis biudis haitis

3 nimiþ biudiþ haitiþ

DUAL 1 nimōs biudōs haitōs

2 nimats biudats haitats

PL 1 nimam biudam haitam

2 nimiþ biudiþ haitiþ

3 nimand biudand haitand

“to take” “to offer” “to be called”

Verb Conjugation - PreteriteSG 1 nam bauþ haíhait

2 namt baust haíhaist

3 nam bauþ haíhait

DUAL 1 nēmu budu haíhaitu

2 nēmuts buduts haíhaituts

PL 1 nēmum budum haíhaitum

2 nēmuþ buduþ haíhaituþ

3 nēmun budun haihaitun

“took” “offered” “was called”

Verb Conjugation - Past Participle

The Gothic past participle is used with wisan “be” or waírþan “become” to express the preterit passive.

“taken” - numans

“offered” - budans

“been called” - haitans

Weak Verbs

Inf. Pret. SG Pret. Pl. Perf.

i nasjan nasida nasidēdum nasiþs “save”

ii salbōn salbōda salbōdēdum salbōþs “anoint”

iii haban habáida habáidēdum habáiþs “have”

iv fullnan fullnōda fullnōdēdum ---- “become full”

Verb Conjugation - Dental Preteritesi ii iii iv

Infinitive nasjan salbōn haban fullnanPreterite SG 1 nasida salbōda habáida fullnōda

2 nasidēs salbōdēs habáidēs fullnōdēs3 nasida salbōda habáida fullnōda

DU 1 nasidēdu salbōdēdu habáidēdu fullnōdēdu2 nasidēduts salbōdēduts habáidēduts fullnōdēduts

PL 1 nasidēdum salbōdēdum habáidēdum fullnōdēdum2 nasidēduþ salbōdēduþ habáidēduþ fullnōdēduþ3 nasidēdun salbōdēdun habáidēdun fullnōdēdun

Perfect nasiþs salbōþs habáiþs -----“save” “annoint” “have” “become full”

Gothic Personal Pronouns

Sing. 1SG

2SG

Nom ik þu

Acc mik þuk

Gen meina þeina

Dat mis þus

“I” “you”

Dual 1DU

2DU

Nom wit *jut

Acc ugkis igqis

Gen *ugkara igqara

Dat ugkis igqis

“we 2” “you 2”

Plural 1PL

2PL

Nom weis jus

Acc uns(is) izwis

Gen unsara izwara

Dat uns(is) izwis

“we” “you”

Gothic Personal Pronouns

3 SG M F N

Nom is si ita

Acc ina ija ita

Gen is izôs is

Dat imma izai imma

“he” “she” “it”

3 PL M F N

Nom eis *ijôs ija

Acc ins ijôs ija

Gen izê izô izê

Dat im im im

“they” “they” “they”

Gothic Demonstrative/Relative Pronouns

Dem. SG M F N

Nom sa sô þata

Acc þana þô þata

Gen þis þizôs þis

Dat þamma þizai þamma

Dem. PL M F N

Nom þai þôs þô

Acc þans þôs þô

Gen þizê þizô þizê

Dat þaim þaim þaim