A Gothic Grammar

ei

§ 16. Like Greek ει at the time of Wulfila, and in imitation of it, Gothic ei denotes long î.

Note 1. In Greek words ei uzually stands for ι, but also for ei, and sumtimes for η.

Note 2. Concerning ei for Goth. ê, s. § 7, n. 2.

Note 3. The difthongal pronunciation of ei suggested by J. Grimm is refuted also for linguistic reasons. Cp. J. Schmidt, 'Idg. Vocalismus', I, 485; Litbl. 1886, 485; Brgm., I, 57.

§ 17. ei in stem syllabls of Gothic words occurs especially in the prs. tense of the I. series (§ 30): beitan, to bite; steigan, to mount; þeihan, to thrive; in the inflection of these verbs it interchanges with ai and i.

Other exampls: ƕeila, time; eisarn, iron; leiþu, cider; þreis, 3; leihts, light; weihs, holy; skeirs, clear; pronouns: weis, we; meins, þeins, seins; – very often in formativ and inflectional syllabls; as, adjs. in -eigs (mahteigs, mighty); in -eins (aiweins, eternal); nomina actionis in -eins (laiseins, doctrin); nom. and gen. sg. of the m. ja-stems: haírdeis, herd; laisareis, teacher; nom. pl. of the i-decl.: gasteis; opt. prt.: nêmeis; final, in feminins in -ei: managei (§ 113); imperativs: sôkei, etc. (§ 186); the rel. particl ei (§ 157), alone and in composition.

Note 1. ei is quite often represented by ê; as akêtis; Mt. XXVII, 48; wêhsa; Mk. VIII, 26. 27; akê; Gal. II, 14; izê; Mk. IX, 1. Lu. VIII, 13. 15, etc. – Here perhaps belongs also awêþi (§ 7, e), which, however, occurs three times with ê: Jo. XVI, 16. I. Cor. IX, 7; cp. Beitr., 11, 32; 18, 286.

Note 2. Onse (in seiteina; II. Cor. XI, 28) occurs ei beside in (in sinteins, daily; sinteinô, always).

Note 3. Beside gabeigs, rich (gabei, riches), which occurs 5 times in Luke, also II. Cor. VIII, 9. Eph. II, 4 (in B), we find more frequently (11 times) gabigs (> gabigjan, to enrich; gabignan, to grow rich); cp. Brgm., II, 261. 271.

iu

§ 18. In the pronunciation of iu the stress is on the i, and u is a consonant.

Note 1. In Gothic words Latin writers render iu by eu, eo: Theudes, Theudicodo; Theodoricus. As to this, cp. Wrede, 'Wand', 100 et seq.; 'Ostg.', 167.

Note 2. In sium (§ 10, n. 4), niu (interr. particl = ni-u, § 216) iu is dissyllabic, i. e. í-ú.

§ 19. iu is a normal vowel of the present tense of the II. series (§ 31), and here it interchanges with the ablauts au, u: biugan, to bend; biudan, to offer. – In other words; as, þiuda, peple; dius, animal; liuhaþ, light; diups, deep; siuks, sick; niujis, new; niun, 9; iup, upward. – In formativ and inflectional syllabls iu does not occur, except in the isolated ûhtiugs (I. Cor. XVI, 12. Cp. Beitr., 12, 202).

Note. In triu, tree; qiujan, to quicken, etc., iu interchanges with iw before an inflectional vowel: gen. triwis; prt. qiwida; cp. § 42.

ai

ai in Gothic words denotes two etymologically, and certainly also fonetically, different sounds.

§ 20. I. The short vowel aí [= a in E. fat]. ai is uzed in Gothic to denote a short, open e1-sound. In this case, according to Grimm's exampl, grammarians put an accute accent over the i (aí) in order to distinguish it from ái (§ 21). Gothic ai corresponds to e or i in OHG. and in the other Germanic languages. The short e-sound represented by aí occurs:

(1) before h (ƕ) and r, which sounds hav caused breaking of every preceding short i to e (aí; § 10, n. 3); e. g., aírþa, erth; waírpan, to throw; baírhts, bright; faíhu, catl; maíhstus, dung; raíhts, right; taíhun, 10; saíƕan, to see; þaíhum (prt. pl. of þeihan, to grow). (2) in reduplicated syllabls (§ 178 et seq.): haíhald, aíaik, laílôt, saísô, etc. Cp. Osthoff, 'Zur Geschichte des Perfects', p. 276 et seq. Brugmann, IV, 15. (3) in the conj. aíþþau, or (= OHG. ëddo, ahd. gr. § 167, n. 11; cp. Beitr. 12, 211); probably, also, in waíla, wel (= OHG. wëla, ahd. gr., § 29, n. 4), but cp. Beitr. 11, 553.

Note 1. The law for the transition of i to ai before h and r (so-calld breaking or refraction) is almost without exception, and equally concerns the Germanic i in general and the Gothic is (§ 10) in particular. The i before h, r, is retaind only in the following words: nih, 'neque' (= ni uh), hiri, (cum) here!; du. hirjats, pl. hirjiþ (219); and in the isolated forms: sihu, victory (cp. § 106, n. 1), þarihis (a probably corrupt form in Mt. IX, 16), adj. in gen. sg., not fuld (said of cloth). Cp. IF. 4, 334 et seq.

Note 2. Not every ai before h, r is aí, but may also be the old difthong; e. g., þáih (prt. of þeihan, like ráis, prt. of reisan, but pl. þaíhum, like risum, § 30), áih, I hav; áihts, property; háihs, one-eyd; fáih, deceit (Beitr., 12, 397); áir, erly (OHG. êr); sáir (OHG. sêr), sorrow; áirus, messenger. Whether ai has the value of ái or aí can in most cases only be inferd from the remaining Germanic languages.

Note 3. In Latin orthografy aí is exprest by e; e. g., Ermanaricus = Goth. *Aírmanareiks, Ermenberga = Goth. *Aírminbaírga. Cp. Wrede, 'Ostg.', 162.

Note 4. ai is to be regarded as a difthong (ái) in baitrs, bitter; jains, yon, that (and its derivations), while formerly, according to OHG. bittar, jenêr, it was thought to be short (aí). Cp. Holtzmann, 'Altd. Gr.', p. 11 et seq.; Brgm., I, 392; Bezzenb. Beitr., 16, 156. – Scherer (Zur Gesch. d. dtsch. Sprache) presumed short aí also in the 3d pers. sg. prs. opt. (like nimai) and in several forms of the strong inflection of adjs. (nom. pl. m. blindai, gen. sg. f. blindaizôs, gen. pl. blindaizê, blindaizô). Hirt (Beitr., 18, 284 et seq.) goes stil farther in this direction. – Cp. also § 22, n. 3.

§ 21. II. The old Difthong ai. By far the greater number of the Gothic ais express a difthongal sound which is equivalent to OHG. ei or ê (ahd. gr., §§ 43. 44), OS. ê, ON. ei. The Goths of Wulfila's time indeed seem to hav stil pronounced this ai as a + i. – For the difthong ai we employ Grimm's sign ái whenever it is likely to be confused with aí. Exampls of difthongal ai (before h, r, cp. § 20, n. 2): The prts. sg. of the I. ablaut-series (§ 30), —bait, I bit (inf. beitan); staig, I mounted (inf. steigan); etc.; wait (§ 197); ains, one; hlaifs, (loaf of) bred; staiga, path; laisjan, to teach; —haitan, to be calld; maitan, to cut; skaidan, to separate; aiws, time; —hails, hale, sound; dails, deal.

ai appears also in inflectional syllabls of the III. Weak Conjugation (§ 191): habais, habaida, etc.; in the prs. opt.: nimais, etc.; anstais, gen. sg. of the i-decl.; in the str. adjs.: blindaizôs, etc. (§ 123); – final: gibai, anstai, dat. sg.: nimai, 3 prs. sg. opt.; blindai, dat. sg. f. and nom. pl. m. of the str. adj.; – monosyllabls: þai, nom. pl., these; twai, 2; bai, both; jai, yes; sai, behold!; wai, woe!

Note 1. Latin writers express the Gothic ai predominantly by ai, ei: Dagalaiphus, Gaina, Radagaisus, Gisaleicus (cp. Dietrich, 'Ausspr.'), eils in a Lt. epigram (Zs. fda., 1, 379). On the Bukarest rune-ring (cp. § 221, n. 3) stands hailag (Paul's 'Grundriss', I, 411). – Concerning the difthongal pronunciation of the Gothic ai, cp. especially Wrede, 'Wand.', 95 et seq.; about monofthongization in East Goth., s. Wrede, 'Ostg.', 165.

Note 2. ai and aj interchange in wai, woe!; wai-dêdja, evil-doer, and waja-mêrjan, to blasfeme; in aiws, time, and ajukdûþs, eternity.

§ 22. Many scholars hold that also the ai in the reduplicating ablaut vs. (§ 182) saian and waian is difthongal. This ai, however, stands etymologically for Gothic ê, and its OHG. equivalent is â (not ei): OHG. sâen, wâen (cp. ahd. gr., § 359, n. 3.) The difthong ai before a vowel would becum aj; hense, *sajan, *wajan. Here ai perhaps has the sound of long æ, i. e. open e representing close e (ê) when followd by a vowel; thus, saian, waian, for sêan, wêan.

Note 1. Before the i of the 3d pers. sg. prs. a j is often found: saijiþ (Mk. IV, 14), saijiþ (II. Cor. IX, 6 in A, for saiiþ in B; Gal. VI, 7. 8. in A, for saiiþ in B). Before a the j occurs but onse: saijands (Mk. IV, 14). Cp. Beitr. 11, 75 et seq.

Note 2. Here belongs also the isolated faian (Rom. IX, 19, in prs. faianda); but the prs. to the prt. laílôun is lauan rather than laian. Cp. Beitr. 11, 56.

Note 3. Also the ai in armaiô, alms (Bezzenb. Beitr. 7, 210; Beitr. 11, 74), is likely to belong here. – Concerning the fonetic values of the ais discust here, cp. especially Beitr. 11, 51 et seq.; Brgm., I, pp. 126. 127; Wrede, 'Wand.' 99, who, beside Holtzmann, is inclined to assume a long sound for these ais; Noreen, 'Urg. Lautlehre', p. 35 et seq.

§ 23. That the Goth. ai may be both short and long (like a in E. at, fare) is evident from its regular occurrence in Greek words. As a rule, ai = ε in aikklêsjô, ἐκκλησία; Aileisabaiþ, Ἐλισάβεθ; Baiailzaibul, Βεελζεβούλ; Gainnêsaraiþ, Γεννησαρέτ, etc.; likewise = αι (i. e. long æ): Idumaia, Ἰδουμαία; Haíbraius, Ἑβραῖος; hairaísis, αἵρεσις, etc.

Note. Gothic ai for Greek η is exceptional; e. g., Hairodiadins, gen. to Ἡρωδίας (Mk. VI, 17); Neikaúdaimus (Skeir. 52); Νικόδημος (for Nikaúdêmus elsewhere.)

au

Also Goth. au (like ai) stands for historically and fonetically different sounds.

§ 24. I. The short vowel aú. —au in Gothic denotes a short open o-sound. In this case grammarians put an accute accent over the u (aú) in order to keep it apart from the difthong au. Goth. aú corresponds to o or u in OHG. and in the other Germanic languages.

The aú, before h and r in Gothic words, has in every instance developt from a short u which, when immediately followd by these sounds, was 'broken' to short ŏ. E. g.

waúrms, wurm; haúrn, horn; baúrgs (OHG. burg), city; waúrd, word; waúrpum, prt. pl. of waírpan, to throw (cp. § 32); saúhts (OHG. suht), sickness; daúhtar, daughter; aúhsa, ox; taúhum, prt. pl. of tiuhan, to pul; baúhta, prt. of bugjan, to buy.

Note 1. aú before other sounds is entirely exceptional and sumwhat doutful. Thus, in auftô, perhaps (onse also ufto; Mt. XXVII, 64), bisauljan, to sully; bisaulnan, to becum sullied. Holtzmann (altd. gr., p. 14) regards also ufbauljan (II. Tim. III, 4) as belonging to this class.

Note 2. The change of short u into aú before h is without exception. An apparent exception is the enclitic -uh, and, the u of which must be referd to a secondary development; it is never found after a short accented vowel, nor after a long vowel or difthong; e. g., sa-h, ni-h, þai-h, wiljáu-h, ƕarjanô-h; u occurs after consonants, and in polysyllabic words in which a final short a before the u was elided; as, ƕaz-uh, þammuh (= þamma uh), qiþuh (= qiþa uh). Sum, however, assume -ûh (cp. Beitr. 18, 299). – Other us before h ar all long: þûhta (cp. § 15). – There ar a few cases of u before r in unaccented syllabls (§ 13, n. 1), namely in the foren words spaikulâtur and paúrpura (beside paúrpaúra), purpl; so, also, in the Gothic fidur- (§ 141, n. 1) which, however, stands perhaps for fidûr- (cp. IF. 4, 334). – The prefix ur- (in urreisan, urruns, etc.) does not belong here; it is a late form for us the s of which was assimilated to a following r (§ 78, n. 4).

Note 3. Not every au before h and r has developt from u, but may also be the difthong au; as, háuhs, high; táuh, prt. of tiuhan (but pl. taúhum, § 31); gáurs, sorry (cp. OHG. gôrag, wreched, and Goth. gaunôn, to mourn).

Note 4. The au for u in the endings of the u-declension may be aú, but also áu which would be due to confusion caused by analogy. Beitr., 18, 280. – Cp. also uftô for auftô, § 24, n. 1.

Note 5. As a rule, the Greek ο is represented by aú; e. g., apaustaulus, ἀπόστολος; alabalstraun, ἀλάβαστρον; Barþaulaumaius, Βαρθολομαῖος; Pauntius, Πόντιος; aú = υ in Saúr, Σύρος; paúrpaúra, πορφύρα. – Goth. aú = o in the East Gothic name Thorisa. (Wrede, 'Ostg.', 76. 165).

§ 25. II. The old difthong au [= ou in E. house]. Every au not broken from u (before h, r; s. § 24 and note 3) is a difthong; it corresponds to OHG. au, ou, or ô (ahd. gr., §§ 45. 46), OS. ô, ON. au. Whenever it is likely to be confused with aú, we put (according to Grimm), an accute accent over the a (áu). E. g.

The prts. sg. of the II. ablaut-series (§ 31): gaut, I pour (inf. giutan); laug, I lied, etc.; laugnjan, to deny; daupjan, to baptize; galaubjan, to believ; galaubeins, belief; rauþs, red; dauþus, deth; —aukan, to increase; hlaupan, to run; stautan, to push, strike; —haubiþ, hed; augô, ey.

au in inflections and final occurs in the u-declension: sunaus, sunau; 1st pers. sg. opt.: nimau, nêmjau; 3d pers. sg. imper.: lausjadau; opt. midl: haitaidau.

Note 1. au often interchanges with aw (cp. § 42); e. g., taujan, prt. tawida, to do; mawi, gen. maujôs, girl; sniwan, prt. snau, to hasten.

Note 2. Latin writers express Goth. au by au; as, Ausila, Austrovaldus, Audericus. Cp. Wrede, 'Wand.', 96 et seq. Concerning East Gothic monofthongizations, s. Wrede, 'Ostg.', 165 et seq. (Zs. fda., 36, 2732).

Note 3. In the u-declension u is often found for áu; cp. § 24, n. 4; § 105, n. 2.

§ 26. Another au, historically, and probably also fonetically, different from the preceding ones occurs before vowels.

(a) For original ô: stauida, prt. of stôjan, to judge; staua, f., judgment; staua, m., judge; taui, n., gen. tôjis, deed (cp. also ubiltôjis, evil-doer; taujan, to do, prt. tawida); afmauidai and afdauidai, pps. of *afmôjan, and *afdôjan, to tire out, weary; sauil, n., sun.