A Gothic Grammar

A. FONETIC SYSTEM

§ 28. In the preceding paragrafs the Gothic vowels hav been givn according to the letters by which they ar represented. Now they wil be arranged according to the nature of their sounds, the following scale of seven vowels from i to u being taken as a basis:

i e æ a ǫ o u.

e and o denote here the close e and o (which shade very much to i and u, respectivly); æ = open e (= a in fat, fare); ǫ = open o.

In the following survey we shal state after each of these vowel grades whether it occurs in Gothic, and by what letter it is exprest.

B. HISTORICAL SYSTEM (Ablaut-Series)

§ 29. The Gothic vowels, as regarded from a historico-etymological point of view, may be groupt into a number of series of related vowels. The vowels belonging to such a series may interchange in formations with the same root; in the formation of tenses and in the verbal and nominal derivation all vowels of the same series may occur, but not such as hav nothing in common with that series. This change of vowels within a series is calld ablaut (or gradation), the series themselvs ablaut-series. The ablaut-series ar most perceptibl in the verb. The relation between the vowels of the same series is not a fonetic but a historical one; to establish it, we must pass beyond the limits of the Germanic languages and take recourse to the comparativ grammar of the Indo-Germanic languages. The Gothic ablaut-series as appearing in verbal inflection ar these (cp. § 172 et seq.):

§ 30. I. Series: ei ai i (aí).

Exampls: reisan (urreisan), rais, risum, risans, to rize; urraisjan, to raiz; urrists, f., resurrection; —þeihan, þaíh, þaíhum, þaíhans, to thrive; —wait, I know; pl. witum; weitan, to see; weitwôds, witness; miþ-wissei, conscience; witubni, n., knowledge; —lais, I know; lubja-leisei, f., wichcraft; lists, f. (?), stratagem; laisjan, to teach.

Note. The i of this series is the proethnic Germanic i mentiond in § 10, b.

§ 31. II. Series: iu au u (aú).

Exampls: giuta, gaut, gutum, gutans, to pour; gutnan, to pour (intr.); —liugan, laug, lugum, lugans, to lie; liugnja, m., liar; liugn, n., lie; analaugns, hidn; laugnjan, to deny; —galaubjan, to believ; galaubeins, belief; liufs, dear; lubô, f., luv; lubains, f., hope; —siuks, sick; saúhts, f., sickness; —driusan, to fall; drausjan, to drop (tr.); drus, m., fall; driusô, f., slope.

Note. The vowel û is rare in this series; cp. lûkan, to lock (§ 173, n. 2); anabûsns (? § 15, n. 1), command, < biudan.

§ 32. III. Series: i (aí) a u (aú).

The themes of this series always hav two consonants after the vowel, mostly a liquid or a nasal in gemination, or a liquid or a nasal + another consonant. E. g.

bindan, band, bundum, bundans, to bind; bandi, f., band; bandja, m., prisoner; gabinda, f., band, bond; and-bundnan, to becum loose; gabundi, f., bond; —rinnan, to run; rannjan, to cause to run; runs, m., a run, course; rinnô, f., brook; —waírpan, warp, waúrpum, waúrpans, to throw; uswaúrpa, f., a casting out or away, an outcast; —þaírsan, to be dry; þaúrsnan, to wither; þaúrsus, dry, witherd; þaúrstei, thirst; —drigkan, to drink; dragkjan, to giv to drink; dragk, n., a drink, potion; -drukja, m., a drinker; drugkanei, f., drunkenness; —þriskan, to thresh; gaþrask, n., threshing-floor.

Note. The i of this and the following two series is that givn in § 10, a (= proethnic Germanic e).

§ 33. IV. Series: i (aí) a ê u (aú).

The stems of this series hav a simpl liquid or nasal after the vowel. E. g.

niman, nam, nêmum, numans, to take; -numja, m., taker; anda-numts, f., a receiving; andanêms, agreeabl; andanêm, n., a receiving; —baíran, bar, bêrum, baúrans, to bear; baúr, m., 'natus'; barn, n., child; bêrusjôs, parents; —ga-timan, to becum, suit; ga-tamjan, to tame; gatêmiba, fitly.

Note. To this series belongs also brikan, brak, brêkum, brukans, to break: gabruka, f., a broken bit; us-bruknan, to break off (intr.); brakja, f., strugl. – Also trudan, to tred; § 175, n. 2.

§ 34. V. Series: i (aí) a ê.

The vowel of the stems of this series is followd by a singl consonant other than a liquid or a nasal. E. g.

giban, gaf, gêbum, gibans, to giv; giba, f., gift; gabei, f., richness; —sitan, to sit; satjan, to set; anda-sêts, abominabl; —mitan, to mezure; mitôn, to consider; mitaþs, f., mezure; usmêt, n., manner of life; —ga-nisan, to be saved, recuver; nasjan, to save; ganists, salvation.

Note. Also saíƕan, saƕ, sêƕum, saíƕans, belongs to this class, because ƕ represents a singl sound; § 63, n. 1.

§ 35. VI. Series: a ô.

Most of the stems of this series end in a singl consonant. E. g.

wakan, wôk, wôkum, wakans, to wake; waknan, to awake; wahtwô, f., wach; wôkains, f., a waching; —graban, to dig; grôba, f., pit, hole; graba, f., dich; —fraþjan, frôþ, to understand; fraþi, n., understanding; frôþs, wise; frôdei, f., understanding, wisdom; —hafjan, hôf, to heav (tr.); -hafnan, to heav (intr.); haban, to hav, hold; ungahôbains, f., incontinency; —ôg, I fear; unagands, fearless; ôgjan, to frighten; usagjan, to terrify; agis, n., fear; —sakan, to contend; sakjô, f., strife; sôkjan, to seek; sôkns, f., serch, inquiry; unand-sôks, irrefutabl.

§ 36. Series: ê ô (VII. Ablaut-Series).

A connection between ê and ô occurs in the so-calld reduplicating ablaut-verbs lêtan, laílôt, etc.; saian (= *sêan, § 22), saísô, etc.; cp. § 180 et seq.

Note. This series is no longer found in the verbal inflection of the remaining Germanic languages, but its existence is proved by its occurring in word-formation; as, OHG. (â: ô) tât, f., tôn, tuon, to do; – knâan, to know: knôt, chnuat, f., kin. – For more on this point, s. Beitr. 11, 262 et seq.

§ 37. The consonant-signs to be discust here both in regard to value and occurrence in the Gothic language hav alredy been enumerated in § 2. We divide the consonantal sounds in sonorous consonants and noizd sounds. Cp. Sievers, Grundzüge der Phonetik4, p. 70 et seq. Accordingly, the Gothic consonant-signs w, j, l, m, n, r, represent the sonorous sounds, the rest the noizd sounds.

A. SONOROUS CONSONANTS

§ 38. Germanic w and j ar the vowels u and i uzed as consonants; hense in Gothic the interchange between i and j, u and w, according to their position which determins their fonetic values as vowels or consonants. The consonantal i and u, which in other languages ar denoted by the same signs as the vocalic i and u, hav special signs in Gothic, j and w. These sounds ar also calld 'semivowels'.

§ 39. The sign of the Gothic alfabet which we represent by w, is, according to its form and alfabetic position, the Gr. υ. For this it also stands in Greek foren words, for exampl, Pawlus, Παῦλος; Daweid, Δαυίδ; aíwaggêljô, εὐαγγέλιον; paraskaíwê, παρασκευή. But the Gothic w stands not only for the Gr. υ of the combinations αυ, ευ, in which it had perhaps at that time assumed the value of a spirant, but also for simpl Greek υ, namely vocalic υ; as, Swmaíôn, Συμεών; swnagôgê, συναγωγή; martwr, μάρτυρ. But in our transcriptions of the Gothic texts the Greek vocalic υ is exprest by y instead of w (Symaíôn, synagôgê, martyr); so, also, for practical reasons, in this book.

Note 1. A noteworthy Gothic transcription is kawtsjô (= Lt. cautio) in the document at Naples (§ 221, n. 3). Cp. Wrede, 'Ostg.', 166; Zs. fda., 36, 273.

Note 2. The Gothic sign is in most of the later editions represented by v. But because of its correspondence in the other Germanic languages the letter w should be uzed (as, Goth. wilja, MHG. NHG. wille, OE. willa, NE. wil). Cp. Beitr., 12, 218 et seq.

§ 40. In Gothic words the w originally had the fonetic value of the consonantal u (= E. w). But at Wulfila's time the u-sound seems to hav alredy containd sumwhat of a spirant. Cp. Zs. fda., 36, 266 et seq. (37, 121 et seq.).

Note. Latin writers uzually express the w in proper nouns by uu. Vvilia, Uualamir; but also often by Ub: Ubadala (= Wadila), Ubadamirus (= Wadamêrs), etc. Greek authors mostly put οὐ for the Goth. w (as in Οὐάνδαλοι), but also β (as in Βάνδαλοι). Cp. Dietrich, pp. 77-80. Wrede, 'Wand.', 102; 'Ostg.', 167 et seq.

§ 41. Initial Gothic w occurs frequently; e. g., wasjan, to clothe; witan, to know; wiljan, to wil; waír, man; warmjan, to warm.

So also before l and r; as, wlits, countenance; wrikan, to persecute; wrôhjan, to accuse.

After the consonants: t, d, þ, s; e. g., twai, two; dwals, foolish; þwahan, to wash; swistar, sister.

Medial w before vowels; e. g., awistr, sheepfold; saiwala, soul; hneiwan, to bow; siggwan, to sing; ûhtwô, dawn; taíhswô, right hand; nidwa, rust.

Note. The signs q (kw) and ƕ (hw) ar also uzually explaind as combinations of w with k and h. There ar reasons, however, to assume that q and ƕ ar simpl labialized gutturals (§§ 59. 63). But on the other hand q and ƕ in High German ar treated precisely like Goth. tw, gw, etc. (= t, g, etc., medial w being dropt); for exampl, Goth. ûhtwô, siggwan = OHG. ûhta, singan; and Goth. sigqan, saíƕan = OHG. sinkan, sehan. Altho this proves nothing as to the values of the Gothic signs, it certainly shows that in proethnic Germanic the tw, gw, etc., must hav denoted sounds analogous to those of kw and hw.

§ 42. (1) w remains unchanged after long vowels, difthongs, and consonants, (a) finally, (b) before the s of the nominativ, (c) before j; e. g., (a) lêw, n., opportunity; hlaiw, n., grave;, waúrstw, n., work; (b) snaiws, snow; triggws, tru, faithful; (c) lêwjan, to betray; hnaiwjan, to abase; skadwjan, to cast a shade (< skadus, shade); arwjô, adv., in vain.

(2) in all three positions, however, w becums u after a short vowel; e. g., (a) snau (prt. to sniwan, § 176, n. 2); triu, tree (gen. triwis); *kniu, knee (gen. kniwis, § 94, n. 1); (b) naus, m., a ded person (gen. nawis); *þius, servant (gen. þiwis, § 91, n. 3); (c) mawi, gen. maujôs, girl; gawi, gen. gaujis, district; þiwi, gen. þiujôs, maid-servant; tawida, pres. taujan, to do; *straujan, to strew, prt. strawida; iujan, to quicken, prt. qiwida. – Cp. Grundr., I, 414; Zs. fda., 36, 277.

Note 1. Hense a word does not end in aw, iw; aws, iws, except the isolated lasiws, weak (II. Cor. X, 10).

Note 2. aw for au occurs before j in usskawjan, to awake; II. Tim. II, 26 (in B); I. Cor. XV, 34 (ussk..jiþ in MS.); and in the nom. pl. usskawai (unskawai in MS.), wakeful; I. Thess. V, 8; cp. § 124, n. 3.

Note 3. No exampl occurs for the position of medial w before consonants other than j and s; before n after a short vowel u is found in qiunan (< qiwa-), to becum alive; siuns (cp. saíƕa-).

§ 43. The sign j stands, as a rule, for the Greek antevocalic ι, in Akaja, Αχαία; Marja, Μαρία; Judas, Ἰούδας; Iskarjôtês, Ἰσκαριώτης, etc. But Gr. antevocalic ι is also often represented by Goth. i; as, Iskariôtês, Zakarias, Gabriêl, Iûdas. – The sign j in Gothic pronunciation probably has the value of a consonantal i, not that of the spirant j in German.

§ 44. (a) Initial j in Gothic words: juk, yoke; jêr, year; ju, alredy; jus, yu. (b) Medial j occurs after vowels and after consonants, but always before vowels, never before consonants; e. g., midjis, 'medius'; lagjan, to lay; niujis, new; frauja, lord; þrija, 'tria'; bajôþs, both. (c) ji is contracted into ei after a consonant belonging to the same syllabl, but is retaind when the syllabl begins with j (cp. Beitr. 16, 282). The latter is the case when it is preceded by a short high-toned vowel with a singl consonant or by a long stem-vowel without a consonant. Exampls – concerning particularly the masculins (and neuters) of the ja-stems (§§ 92. 127) – ar: har-jis, tô-jis (doer), but haír-deis, dat. haírd-ja; – also the I. Weak Conjugation (§ 185): sô-kja, sô-keis, sô-keiþ; san-dja, san-deiþ; miki-lja, miki-leiþ; but nas-ja, nas-jis, nas-jiþ; stô-ja, stô-jis, stô-jiþ.

Note 1. The rule under (c) may, practically, also be worded in the following manner: ji becums ei after a long stem-syllabl and after secondary syllabls, but remains ji after a short stem-syllabl and immediately after a long stem-vowel. – For exceptions, s. § 95; § 108, n. 2; § 132, n. 1.

Note 2. Only i is often employd for medial ij before vowels; s. § 10, n. 4; for j occurring sporadically in the inflection of saian, s. § 22, n. 1.

§ 45. j is never final; in this position it always becums i; e. g., harjis, acc. hari; mawi, gen. maujôs (s. § 42, 2, c); taui, deed, gen. tôjis.

Note 1. For the change of aj and ai, s. § 21, n. 2.

§ 46. Gothic l occurs often, – initially, medially, and finally; as, laggs, long; galaubjan, to believ; liuhaþ, light; laúhmuni, lightning; wiljan, to wil; aljis, 'alius'; blôma, flower; – dubl l, as in fill, hide; fulls, ful; wulla, wool.

Note 1. l is syllabic (§ 27), for exampl, in fugls, bird (fowl); tuggl, constellation, star; tagl, hair; swumfsl, pond; sigljan, to seal.

Note 2. Goth. l always corresponds to Gr. λ. It is interpolated in alabalstraún, ἀλάβαστρον.

§ 47. r is equivalent to Gr. ρ and occurs frequently in Gothic words; e. g., raíhts, right; raubôn, to rob; baíran, to bear; fidwôr, four. – Dubl r is rare: qaírrus, meek; andstaúrran, to threten; faírra, far.

Note 1. Syllabic r (§ 27) occurs, for exampl, in akrs, field; brôþr, dat. sg. of brôþar (§ 114), brother; figgrs, finger; tagr, tear; hlûtrs, pure; fagrs, suitabl; maúrþr, murder; huggrjan, to hunger.