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Gothic

The oldest Germanic language preserved is Gothic, belonging to the East-Germanic branch of Indo-European languages. It had been spoken by the people of the Goths, who probably settled southern Sweden in the first century AD, soon migrated to the Weichsel mouth area around Gdansk supposedly due to environmental catastrophes on Swedish coasts, and then arrived near the Black Sea in the third century.

The Goths were a people always on the move, occupying Rome in 410 under King Alarich, and founding empires in Italy, southern France, and Spain thereafter. They called themselves `Gutþiuda`, i.e. Gothic people (cf. Go. þiuda with New High German deutsch).

Gothic texts appear around 400 years earlier than any other Germanic-language documents. Most of the Gothic language has been preserved in a Bible translation of Wulfila, a West Gothic Arian bishop living around 311 to 383 in today's eastern Bulgaria. Wulfila's Bible translation has survived in the Codex Argenteus, made in the 6th century in Italy with parts written in golden letters. Other important handwritings in Gothic language are the Codex Ambrosianus with Corinthians etc., and the Skeireins (`explanation`) on the Gospel of John.

Linguistically, the Wulfila Bible features a highly-standardized - some call it artificial - form of Gothic, and is a trove for researchers because Gothic is very archaic Germanic lacking many developments found in younger Germanic dialects.

The last Gothic text originated in the Alps in the 9th or 10th century. A latecomer is a list of 86 Crimean Gothic words compiled in 1562 by Flemish Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq. de Busbecq was an ambassador to the Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and when visiting the Crimea, interviewed two speakers of Crimean Gothic, a language which soon vanished thereafter.

The Gothic alphabet as designed by Wulfila. It had soon became the only
standard for Gothic-language documents and was used unchanged over centuries.

Main characteristics

Some of the features of the Gothic language are:

The only tenses are present and preterite.
Nouns appear in three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and have five cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative).
Germanic n preceding the fricatives f, þ, s is kept from Proto-Germanic, as in uns (cf. Old High German uns, but Old Saxon ûs).
Germanic final [z] is preserved, as in weis (but Old English: wê).
The inflected passive and the third-person imperative are retained from Proto-Germanic.
Dual forms known from other ancient Indo-European languages exist in the first and second person: wit witu (we both know), jut wituts (you both know).
Some forms of strong verbs keep reduplication in the preterite, e.g. present tense: ik haita Alex (I am called Alex), preterite: ik haíhait Alex, (I was called Alex).
Gothic verbs have three distinct forms in the plural, whereas other languages emerging some centuries later only have one (e.g. Old Saxon, West Saxon).
Some infinitives have endings in -nan and -jan.

Pronunciation

Phoneme	Pronunciation	Equivalent in English
aí	/e/ (short [e]), if followed by r, h, hv	like /e/ in `egg`
ái	/ai/	like /ai/ in `to hide`
ai	uncertain: /ai/, if not followed by r, h, hv; or /e:/	like /ai/ in `to hide`
air, aih	/er/, /eh/ if followed by r, h, hv	like /er/ in `hair`; no example yet
au	/au/ if not followed by r or h	like /au/ in `how`
aúr	/or/	like /or/ in `forth`
aúh	/o:/	no example yet
ei	/i:/	like /i:/ in `to deem`
g	when occuring finally or before final s or t: [x]; when not occuring before g, k, q: [g], i.e. a voiced [x]. (There seems to be no phoneme [g] like in New English `goose`.)	like /x/ in New High German `ach`; like [g] in Low German /zachen/ for the German verb `sagen`.
gg	/ng/	like /ng/ in `to hang`
gk, gq	/nk/, /nkw/	like /nk/ in `to think`; no example yet
h	in front of consonants and if final -h: /x/, else /h/	like /x/ in New High German `ach`
hw	/hw/	like /hw/ in `what`
iu	/iu/; unlikely: [oi]	like /iu/ in `cute`
j	/j/	like /j/ in `yes`
q	/kw/	like /kw/ in `quantum`
s	/s/	like /s/ like in `sun`
þ	/th/	like /th/ in `thorn`
z	/z/	like in `to zip`

Stress usually is on the first syllable.

Some prose

The characters in the `Pronunciation` lines in the following text have the following meaning:

character	meaning
colon after a vowel	indicates a long vowel
th	is /th/ like in `thorn`
j	is /j/ like in `you`
ai	is /ai/ like in `fine`

Gothic	In dagam Hêrôdis þiudanis	qêmum Iôsêf jah Maria in Bêþlahaím.
Pronunciation	In dagam He:ro:dis thjudanis	kwe:mum Jo:se:f ja: Maria in Be:thlahe:m
Translation	In the days of King Herodis	came Joseph and Maria to Bethlehem.

Gothic	Jah jáinar gabar Maria	Iêsu.
Pronunciation	Ja: jainar gabar Maria	Ie:su
Translation	And there Maria gave birth to	Jesus.

Gothic	Jah haírdjos wêsun jáinar	ana akra.
Pronunciation	Ja: herdjos we:sun jainar	ana akra
Translation	And herdsmen were there	upon the field.

Gothic	Jah sái aggilus qam us	himina.
Pronunciation	Ja: sai angilus kwam us	himina
Translation	And (the) angel came from	(the) heavens.

Gothic	Jah qaþ sa aggilus du þáim	haírdjam ana þama akra:
Pronunciation	Ja: kwath sa angilus du thaim	herdjam ana thama akra
Translation	And spoke the angel to the	herdsman upon the field:

Gothic	haírdjos sái gabaúrans ist	himma daga Xristus in Bêþlahaím.
Pronunciation	Herdjos sai gabo:rans ist	himma daga Kristus in Be:thlahe:m
Translation	Herdsmen ! Born is	today Christ in Bethlehem.

Gothic	Sái sa ist þiudans himinis	jah þiudans þiudanê.
Pronunciation	Sai sa ist thjudans himinis	ja: thjudans thjudane:
Translation	(..) He is the king of heavens	and the king of kings.

Strong verb forms

		wisan	kunnan	witan	niman	baíran
Present tense indicative	Pronouns	sein to be	kennen `can`	wissen to know	nehmen to take	tragen to carry, to bear
1. Ps. Sg.	ik	im	kann	wait	nima	baíra
2. Ps. Sg.	þu	is	kannt	waist	nimis	baíris
3. Ps. Sg.	is/sa; si; ita	ist	kann		nimiþ	baíriþ
1. Ps. Pl.	weis	sijum	kunnum	witum	nimam	baíram
2. Ps. Pl.	jus	sijuþ	kunnuþ	wituþ	nimiþ	baíriþ
3. Ps. Pl.	eis	sind	kunnun	witun	nimand	baírand
1. Dual (`we both`)	wit	siju	kunnu	witu	nimos	baíros
2. Dual (`you both`)	jut	*sijuts	kunnuts	wituts	nimats	baírats

Preterite indicative	Pronouns
1. Ps. Sg.	ik	was	kunþa	wissa		bar
2. Ps. Sg.	þu	wast	kunþes	wisses	nim	bart
3. Ps. Sg.	is/sa; si; ita	was	kunþa	wissa	nimadau	bar
1. Ps. Pl.	weis	wêsum	kunþedum	wissedum	nimam	berum
2. Ps. Pl.	jus	wêsuþ	kunþeduþ	wisseduþ	nimiþ	beruþ
3. Ps. Pl.	eis	wûsun	kunþedun	wissedun	nimandau	berun
1. Dual (`we both`)	wit	wêsu	kunþedu	wissedu		beru
2. Dual (`you both`)	jut	wêsuts	kunþeduts	wisseduts		beruts

Weak verb forms

		nasjan	salbon	haban	fullnan
Present tens indicative	Pronouns	retten to save	salben to anoint	haben to have	füllen to fill
1. Ps. Sg.	ik	nasja	salbô	haba	fullna
2. Ps. Sg.	þu	nasjis	salbôs	habais	fullnis
3. Ps. Sg.	is/sa; si; ita	nasjíþ	salbôþ	habaiþ	fullniþ
1. Ps. Pl.	weis	nasjam	salbôm	habam	fullnam
2. Ps. Pl.	jus	nasjiþ	salboþ	habaiþ	fullniþ
3. Ps. Pl.	eis	nasjand	salbônd	haband	fullnand
1. Dual (`we both`)	wit	nasjôs	salbôs	habôs	fullnôs
2. Dual (`you both`)	jut	nasjats	salbôts	habats	fullnats

Präteritum Indikativ	Pronouns
1. Ps. Sg.	ik	nasida	salbôda	habaida	fullnôda
2. Ps. Sg.	þu	nasidês	salbôdês	habaidês	fullnôdês
3. Ps. Sg.	is/sa; si; ita	nasida	salbôda	habaida	fullnôda
1. Ps. Pl.	weis	nasidedum	salbôdêdum	habaidêdum	fullnôdêdum
2. Ps. Pl.	jus	nasideduþ	salbôdêduþ	habaidêduþ	fullnôdêduþ
3. Ps. Pl.	eis	nasidêdun	salbôdêdun	habaidêdun	fullnôdêdun
1. Dual (`we both`)	wit	nasidêdu	salbôdêdu	habaidêdu	fullnôdêdu
2. Dual (`you both`)	jut	nasidêduts	salbôdêduts	habaidêduts	fullnôdêduts

269 words of Gothic

This list is also available in Excel 97 file format: gothicwordlist.xls. An asterisk in front of a word means that it has not been found in writings, but has been reconstructed with a high certainty to be the actual Gothic expression.

English	New High German	Gothic
age	Alter	aldr
allow	erlauben	uslaubjan
and	und	uh, iþ, jah
apple	Apfel	apel
ask	fragen	fraíhnan
ask	bitten	bidjan
axe	Axt	aqizi
barley	Gerste	baris
be	sein	wisan
be called	heißen	haitan
be happy, be glad	freuen	faginon, gifehan
be of use	nützen	botjan, dugan
become	werden	waírþan
begin	beginnen	duginnan
big	groß	aírmans, mikils, mera, mereis, mikilaba
birch	Birke	*bairka
bird	Vogel	fugls
black	schwarz	swarts
blue	blau	*blews
bread	Brot	hlaifs
bright	hell	baírhts, liuhts
bring	bringen	briggan, gataujan
brother	Bruder	broþar
brown	braun	bruns
but	aber	ak, auk, iþ
buy	kaufen	kaupon, bugjan
can	können	(magan)
carry	tragen	baíran, dragan
choose	wählen	kiusan, waljan
cloud	Wolke	milhma
coal	Kohle	haúri
cold	kalt	kalds
come	kommen	qiman
comfort	Trost	trausti
cook	kochen	*siudan
cow	Kuh	kalbo
dark	dunkel	riqizeins
daughter	Tochter	daúhtar
day	Tag	dags
deem	dünken	þugkjan
die, starve	sterben	gadauþnan, gaswiltan
do	tun	taujan
dog	Hund	hunds
door	Tür	daúro
drink	trinken	drigkan
ear	Ohr	auso
earth	Erde	aírþa
east	Osten	austra, urruns
eat	essen	itan
edge	Kante	bôta
eight	acht	ahtau
eighty	achtzig	ahtautêhund
eleven	elf	ainlif
empire	Reich	reiki
end	Ende	andeis
enemy	Feind	fijands
escape	Flucht	þlauhs
every	jeder	ainshun, alls, harjizuh
evil	übel	ubils
eye	Auge	augo
faithful, loyal	treu	triggws
false	falsch	galiug
fame, glory	Ruhm	doms, hroms, hroþ, hoftuli
family	Familie	gards
fare	fahren	faran
fast	schnell	adrs, snills, sniums, sprauto
father	Vater	fadar, atta
feel	fühlen	tekan, attekan
field	Feld	fulþ, haiþi
fifteen	fünfzehn	fimftaíhun
fifty	fünfzig	fimf tigjus
find	finden	finþan
fire	Feuer	fôn
fish	Fisch	fisks
five	fünf	fimf
flood	Flut	flodus, garunjo
flower	Blume	blôma
fog	Nebel	*nibls
foot	Fuß	fotus
forty	vierzig	fidwor tigjus
four	vier	fidwor
fourteen	vierzehn	fidwortaíhun
Friday	Freitag	pareinsdags
friend	Freund	frijonds
gift	Gabe	fragifts, giba
give	geben	giban
go	gehen	akan, faran, gaggan, galeiþan
god	Gott	guþ
gold	Gold	gulþ
golden	golden	gulþeins
good	gut	gods, goþs
grab	ergreifen	greipan, dissitan, gafahan
green	grün	groneis
grey	grau	grews, *greiseis
hair	Haar (Kopfhaar)	tagl
hand	Hand	handus
happy	froh	fagins, fahs, fraus, gails, glad, swegns, wizneigs
have	haben	haban
he	er	his, is
head	Kopf	háubiþ
head	Haupt	haubiþ
hear	hören	hausjan
heart	Herz	hairto
heat	Hitze	heito
heaven	Himmel	himins
help	helfen	hilpan
hit, strike	schlagen	slahan
hold	halten	haldan
holy	heilig	hailags
honor	Ehre	aiza, hauheins, swerei, sweriþa
hope	Hoffnung	lubains, wens
hope	hoffen	luban, wenjan
horse	Pferd	marhs
hundred	hundert	hund, taíhuntêhund
hunger	Hunger	huhrus
hurry	Eile	snium-?
I	ich	ik
if	wenn (falls)	jabai
iron	Eisen	eisarn
it	es	ita, hita
king	König	þiudans
know	kennen	kunnan
know	wissen	witan
lamp, light	Leuchte	lukarn, skeima
land	Land	land
language	Sprache	razda
leather	Leder	fill
left	links	hleiduma
let	lassen	letan
let go (of)	loslassen	galausjan
lie	liegen	ligan
light	Licht	liuhaþ
light	leuchten	liuhtjan
lightning	Blitz	lauhmuni
little	klein	leitils, smals
live	leben	liban
load, burden	Last	baúrþei, kaúrei, kauriþa
love	lieben	frijon
make	machen	waurkjan, taujan
make	schaffen	gaskapjan, skapjan
man	Mann	manna, waír, guma
may	dürfen	þaúrban, gadaursan
milk	Milch	miluks
money	Geld	skatts
month	Monat	menoþs
moon	Mond	mena
mother	Mutter	aiþei
mountain	Berg	faírgun, faírguni
name	Name	namo
need	bedürfen	þaúrban
neighbor	Nachbar	garazna
night	Nacht	nahts
nine	neun	niun
ninety	neunzig	niuntêhund
no	kein	nih
north	Norden	naur-
old	alt	alþeis
one	eins	ains
or	oder	aíþþau
ore	Erz	aiz
own, have	besitzen	anahaban, haban
ox	Ochse	auhsa
pig	Schwein	swein
plough, plow	Pflug	plogs
rain	Regen	rign
ready	bereit	arus, funs, gamanwiþs, manwuba, skafts
red	rot	rauþs
remember	sich erinnern	gamunan, sik andþagkjan, gamaudjan
request	Bitte	bida
right	rechts	taihswa
river	Fluß	ahva, runs
rye	Roggen	rugi
salt	Salz	salt
Saturday	Samstag	sabbato
say	sagen	qiþan
sea	See	saiws
sea	Meer	marei
search	suchen	sokjan
secret	geheim	analaugniba, ana-láugns, fulgins
see	sehen	saíhvan
seven	sieben	sibun
seventy	siebzig	sibuntêhund
shall	sollen	skal
she	sie (Sg)	si
sheep	Schaf	lamb
ship	Schiff	skip
shovel	Schaufel	skaúro
show	zeigen	teihan
silver	Silber	silubr
sin	Sünde	þlauhs
sister	Schwester	swistar
sit	sitzen	sitan
six	sechs	saíhs
sixty	sechszig	saíhs tigjus
sleep	schlafen	slepan
snow	Schnee	snaiws
son	Sohn	sunus
soul	Seele	saiwala
south	Süden	sunþ-
speak	sprechen	aikan, qiþan, rodjan
spear	Speer	asks, gails, gais
speech	Rede	raþjo
spring	Quelle	brunna
stand	stehen	standan
star	Stern	staírnô
stone	Stein	stains
street	Straße	gatwô, plabja
strong	stark	abrs, mahteigs, starks, mikils
such	solch	swaleiks
to be suited, be of use	taugen	dugan
summer	Sommer	asans
sun	Sonne	sunno, sáuil
Sunday	Sonntag	fraujins-dags
take	nehmen	niman
tell	erzählen	qiþan, gateihan
ten	zehn	taíhun
thank	danken	þagks
they	sie (Pl)	eis
think	denken	þagkjan
thirst	Durst	þaúrstei
thirty	dreißig	*þreis tigjus
thousand	tausend	þûsundi
three	drei	þreis, þrija (neuter)
through	durch	þairh
thunder	Donner	þeihvo
Thursday	Donnerstag	paintedags
time	Zeit	aiws, mel, þeihs
today	heute	himma daga
token	Zeichen	taikn
tomorrow	morgen	du maurgina, gistradagis [!]
tree	Baum	bagms
true	wahr	wereis, sunjeins
Tuesday	Dienstag	areinsdags
twelve	zwölf	twalif
twenty	zwanzig	twai tigjus
two	zwei	twai
venture, risk, dare	wagen	nanþjan, anananþjan, balþjan, gadaúrsan
village	Dorf	haims, weihs
wait	warten	wenjan
want	wollen	wiljan
warm	warm	warms
water	Wasser	wato
we	wir	weis
weak	schwach	unmahteigs, gamáiþs
week	Woche	wiko
west	Westen	wist, wistr, saggqs
what	was	hvas
wheat	Weizen	hvaiteis
when	wann	hvan
white	weiß	hveits
who	wer	hvas
why	warum	duhve
wind	Wind	winds
window	Fenster	augadauro
wine	Wein	wein
winter	Winter	wintrus
with	mit	miþ
woman	Frau	qino, qens (ne. wife)
wood	Wald	waldus, widus
wood	Holz	triu, widus
wool	Wolle	wulla
word	Wort	waúrd
world	Welt	faírhvus
write	schreiben	gameljan
yellow	gelb	falws-
yesterday	gestern	faura-dagis
you	ihr (Pl)	jus
you	du	þu
young	jung	juggs

Gothic and its sister languages

The close relationship of Gothic with other Indo-European languages can be shown nicely with the verb `baíran` to carry, to bear.

	Gothic	Old English	Old High German	Sanskrit	Vedic	Latin
infinitive	baíran	beran, beoran	beran	bhr-	bhara-	ferre
present tense ind.
1. Ps. Sg.	baíra	bere, beore	biru	bharami	bhárâmi	fero
2. Ps. Sg.	baíris	birest, birst	birist	bharasi	bhárasi	fers
3. Ps. Sg.	baíriþ	bireþ, birþ	birit	bharati	bhárati	fert
1. Ps. Pl.	baíram	beraþ	berem, beremes	bharamah	bhárâmas(-i)	ferimus
2. Ps. Pl.	baíriþ	beraþ	beret	bharatha	bháratha	fertis
3. Ps. Pl.	baírand	beraþ	berent	bharanti	bháranti	ferunt
1. Dual (`we both`)	baíros			bharavah
2. Dual (`you both`)	baírats			bharathah
preterite ind.
1. Ps. Sg.	bar	bær	bar	abharam	ábharam	ferebam
2. Ps. Sg.	bart	bære	bari	abharah	ábharas	ferebas
3. Ps. Sg.	bar	bær	bam	abharat	ábharat	ferebat
1. Ps. Pl.	berum	bæron	bârum, barumês	abharama	ábharâma	ferebamus
2. Ps. Pl.	beruþ	bæron	barut	abharata	ábharata	ferebatis
3. Ps. Pl.	berun	bæron	barun	abharan	ábharan	ferebant
1. Dual (`we both`)	beru			abharava
2. Dual (`you both`)	beruts			abharatam