CHAPTER IX

THE GOTHIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE GENERAL GERMANIC CONSONANT-SYSTEM

The Semivowels.

§ 149. Germanic w remained initially before vowels and also initially before and after consonants except in the combinations kw (§ 163) and χw (§ 165), as wigs, O.Icel. vegr, OE. OS. OHG. weg, way; wulfs, OE. OS. wulf, 71OHG. wolf, wolf; wlits, OE. wlite, O.S. wliti, face, look, beauty; wraka, OE. wracu, revenge, persecution; swistar, OE. sweostor, OS. OHG. swester, sister; and similarly wahsjan, to grow; waírs, worse; waúrd, word; wrikan, to persecute; dwals, foolish; twái, two; twalif, twelve; þwahan, to wash.

It also remained: (1) Medially before vowels, as fidwōr, four; hawi, hay; nidwa, nest; siggwan, to sing; slawan, to be silent; sparwa, sparrow; taíhswō, right hand; gen. kniwis, OE. cneowes, OHG. knewes, of a knee; mawi, girl; þiwi, maid-servant; tawida, he did; nom. pl. masc. qiwái, alive; fawái, few; sniwan, to hasten. (2) Medially between a long vowel, diphthong, or consonant and a following j or s, as lēwjan, to betray; hnáiwjan, to abase; hnáiws, lowly; snáiws, snow; ufarskadwjan, to overshadow. (3) Finally after long vowels, diphthongs, and consonants, as lēw, occasion; hláiw, grave; fráiw, seed; waúrstw (cp. § 29), work.

§ 150. Germanic w became u after a short vowel with which it combined to form a diphthong: (1) Finally, as kniu, knee; triu, wood; beside gen. kniwis, triwis; pret. snáu, he hastened, beside inf. sniwan. (2) Before consonants, as gen. máujōs, þiujōs, beside nom. mawi, girl; þiwi, maid-servant; inf. táujan, to do, beside pret. tawida; náus, corpse, beside nom. pl. naweis; siuns from *se(ʒ)wnís, sight, face. It also became u before -s, older -z, after the loss of an intervening vowel, as skadus from *skadwaz, shadow.

§ 151. In a few instances medial -w- (or -ww- the origin of which is uncertain) after short vowels became -ggw- in Gothic and -ggv-, -gg- in O.Icel., whereas the West-Germanic languages 72 developed an u before this -w- which united with the preceding vowel to form a diphthong, or ū (when the preceding vowel was u). The conditions under which this sound-change took place have not yet been satisfactorily explained. The examples are:— Goth. bliggwan, OE. *blēowan, OHG. bliuwan, to strike; Goth. triggws, O.Icel. tryggr, OE. trīewe, OS. OHG. triuwi, true, faithful, cp. also Goth. triggwaba, truly, triggwa, covenant; Goth. *glaggwus, exact, accurate, O.Icel. glöggr, OE. glēaw, OHG. glau (inflected form glauwēr), wise, prudent; cp. also Goth. glaggwō (av.), diligently, glaggwuba (av.), diligently, accurately; Goth. skuggwa, O.Icel. skugg-sjā, mirror, OE. scūwa, OHG. scūwo, shade, shadow.

j

§ 152. Germanic j remained in Gothic: (1) Initially, as juggs, OS. OHG. jung, young; jēr, year; juk, yoke. (2) Medially between vowels which remained as such in the historic period of the language, except in the combination ǣj +vowel, as frijōnds, friend; fijan, to hate; ija (acc.), her; þrija (neut.), three; stōjan, to judge. For the treatment of ǣj in Goth. see § 76. (3) Medially between a consonant and a following guttural vowel which remained as such in the historic period of the language, as lēwjan, to betray; frawardjan, to destroy; harjōs, armies; haírdjōs, shepherds; nasjan, to save; sōkjan, to seek. Cp. § 157.

§ 153. Medial -ij- became -ī- before -s, older -z, after the loss of a vowel in final syllables, as nom. haírdeis from *χirđij-az, shepherd; freis from *frij-az, free; gasteis from *ʒastij-iz, guests = Lat. hostēs from *hostejes.

Germanic -iji- from older -eje-, -ije- became i(j)i = ī after long closed stem-syllables and after unaccented syllables, but -ji- in other cases, as sōkeis, thou seekest, from *sōki(j)izi = Indg. *sāgéjesi; sōkeiþ, he seeks, from 73*sōki(j)iđi = Indg. *sāgéjeti; and similarly frawardeiþ, he destroys; mikileiþ, he praises; gen. sing. haírdeis from *χirđi(j)iz, older -ijes (with pronominal ending (§ 265)); láisareis, teacher; ragineis, counsellor; dáupeins, baptism, from *đaupi(j)iniz, older -ejenis; beside nasjis, nasjiþ, inf. nasjan, to save; stōjis, stōjiþ, inf. stōjan, to judge.

§ 154. Final -ī which arose from medial -ij- after the loss of a final vowel or syllable was shortened to i (cp. § 89), as voc. haírdi from *χirđij(i), older -ije; acc. haírdi from *χirđij-an. In like manner we should expect the imperative 2 pers. sing. of the first class of weak verbs to end in -i, as *sōki, seek thou; *hazi, praise thou, from *sōkij(i), *χazij(i), older -eje-, cp. Gr. φόβει from *φόβε(j)ε, frighten thou. It is difficult to account for sōkei, hazei unless we may assume either that they were new formations from the 2 pers. sing. pres. indic. of verbs with long closed stem-syllables and of simple trisyllabic verbs or else that forms like voc. acc. sing. haírdi were new formations formed after the analogy of forms like voc. acc. sing. hari (§ 155).

§ 155. When medial -j- came to stand finally after the loss of a final vowel or syllable, it became -i, as voc. sing. hari, from *χarj(i); acc. sing. hari from *χarj-an, army; nom. acc. sing. kuni from *kunj-an, race, generation.

§ 156. In a few words medial -j- (or -jj- the origin of which is uncertain) after short vowels became -ddj- in 74Gothic, and -ggj-, -gg- in O.Icel., whereas the West-Germanic languages developed an i before this -j-, which united with the preceding vowel to form a diphthong, or ī (when the preceding vowel was i). A satisfactory explanation of this sound-law has not yet been found. The examples are:— gen. Goth. twaddjē, O.Icel. tveggja, OHG. zweio, of two, cp. Skr. dváyōs; Goth. waddjus, O.Icel. veggr, wall, related to Lat. viēre, to plait; Goth. iddja, I went, cp. Skr. áyām, I went; Goth. daddjan, to suckle, cp. Skr. dháyāmi, I suckle.

§ 157. In Indg. -j- alternated with -ij-. The former occurred after short and the latter after long syllables, as Gr. μέσος, μέσσος from *μέθjος, Skr. madhyas, Indg. *medhjos, middle, beside Gr. πάτριος from *πάτριjος, Skr. pítriyas, Indg. *pətrijos, paternal. This original distinction was not fully preserved in Gothic, because the -ij- became simplified to -j- before guttural vowels which remained as such in the historic period of the language, as nom. pl. haírdjōs from *χirđ(i)jōz, shepherds; and similarly in the other plural forms and in the dat. singular (§ 184).

Prim. Germanic -ij- from Indg. -ej- had become -j- before guttural vowels in the prehistoric period of all the Germanic languages, as nasjan, to save; sōkjan, to seek = Indg. *nosejonom, *sāgejonom; pres. first pers. sing. nasja, sōkja = Indg. *nosejō, *sāgejō; pl. nasjam, sōkjam. Cp. § 152, (3).

Liquids and Nasals.

§ 158. Germanic l, m, n, ŋ, r generally remained in Gothic:

l. Goth. lagjan, O.Icel. leggja, OE. lecgan, OS. leggian, OHG. leggen, to lay; Goth. O.Icel. OS. OHG. skal, OE. sceal, shall; and similarly laggs, long; haldan, to hold; salt, salt; wulfs, wolf; mēl, time; wulla, wool; fulls, full.

m. Goth. mēna, O.Icel. māne, OE. mōna, OS. OHG. māno, moon; Goth. OE. guma, O.Icel. gume, OS. gumo, OHG. gomo, man; Goth. O.Icel. OS. OHG. nam, I took; and similarly mēl, time; manna, man; niman, to take.

n. Goth. OE. niman, O.Icel. nema, OS. OHG. neman, to take; Goth. sunus, OE. OS. OHG. sunu, O.Icel. sunr, son; Goth. O.Icel. kann, OS. OHG. kan, OE. can(n), I know; and similarly nahts, night; mēna, moon; anþar, other; manna, man; rinnan, to run; pret. rann, I ran.

ŋ. On the representation of Germanic ŋ in Gothic, see § 17. It only occurred before k, q and g, as briggan, OE. OS. OHG. bringan, to bring; drigkan, OE. drincan, OS. drinkan, OHG. trincan, to drink; and similarly figgrs, finger; gaggan, to go; þagkjan, to think; sigqan, to sink; pret. sagq, he sank.

r. Goth. ráups, O.Icel. rauþr, OE. rēad, OS. rōd, OHG. rōt, red; Goth. harjis, OE. here, OS. OHG. heri, army; Goth. OS. fadar, O.Icel. faðir, OE. fæder, OHG. fater, father; and similarly raíhts, right; razn, house; barn, child; baúrgs, city; swaran, to swear; daúr, door; fidwōr, four; faírra (adv.), far.

§ 159. l, m, n, r, preceded by an explosive or spirant, became vocalic in unaccented syllables after the loss of 76a short vowel (§ 88). The West Germanic languages generated a new vowel before the vocalic liquids and nasals which then became consonantal again, as Goth. nom. fugls, acc. fugl, OE. fugol, OS. fugal, OHG. fogal, from *fuʒlaz, fuʒlan, bird; Goth. ibns, ibn, OE. efen, OS. eƀan, OHG. eban, from *eƀnaz, *eƀnan, even; Goth. akrs, akr, OE. æcer, OS. akkar, OHG. acchar, from *akraz, *akran, field; and similarly Goth. tagl, hair; hunsl, sacrifice; sitls, seat; máiþms, acc. máiþm, treasure; bagms, tree; razn, house; táikns, token; láugnjan, to deny; tagr, tear; ligrs, bed; timrjan, timbrjan, to build; tìmrja, carpenter.

Labials.

§ 160. Germanic p and f remained in Gothic, as páida, OE. pād, OS. pēda, coat; Goth. O.Icel. OE. OS. pund, OHG. pfunt, pound; slēpan, OE. slǣpan, OS. slāpan, OHG. slāfan, to sleep; diups, O.Icel. djūpr, OE. dēop, OS. diop, OHG. tiof, deep; and similarly plinsjan, to dance; hilpan, to help; skapjan, to create; skip, ship.

Goth. fadar, O.Icel. faðir, OE. fæder, OS. fadar, OHG. fater, father; Goth. OHG. fimf, OE. OS. fīf, five; and similarly faran, to go; fulls, full; hlifan, to steal; ufar, over; wulfs, wolf.

b, ƀ.

§ 161. Germanic b, which only occurred initially and after m, remained in Gothic (§ 132), as baíran, O.Icel. bera, OE. OS. OHG. beran, to bear; dumbs, O.Icel. dumbr, OE. dumb, OHG. tumb, dumb; and similarly badi, bed; barn, child; bindan, to bind; brōþar, brother; wamba, womb; lamb, lamb.

ƀ > b after r and l, as arbi, heritage; swaírban, to wipe; swarb, he wiped; silba, self; kalbō, calf; salbōn, to anoint.

ƀ > f after vowels both finally and before final -s. Hence the frequent interchange between ƀ (written b in Gothic) and f in inflexion, as giban, to give, pret. sing. gaf; sweiban, to cease, pret. sing. swáif; bi-leiban, to remain, pret. sing. bi-láif; gen. hláibis, nom. sing. hláifs, acc. hláif, loaf, bread, cp. on the other hand swaírban, to wipe, pret. swarb.

Medial ƀ (written b) remained unchanged after vowels, as haban, to have; liban, to live; sibun, seven; ga-láubjan, to believe; ibns, even. See § 133.

Gutturals.

k

§ 162. Germanic k remained in Gothic, as kuni, O.Icel. kyn, OS. OHG. kunni, OE. cynn, race, generation; juk, O.Icel. ok, OE. geoc, OHG. joh, yoke; and similarly kalds, cold; kinnus, cheek; kniu, knee; akrs, field; áukan, to increase; skalks, servant; sōkjan, to seek; ik, I.

kw

§ 163. kw (OE. cw, OS. OHG. qu, O.Icel. kv) became a labialized k which had the same sound-value as Lat. qu, i. e. it was a simple sound, and not a compound one composed of the elements k + w; hence Ulfilas expressed it in his alphabet by a single letter u. In modern philological works the sound in question is transcribed by q. Examples are:— qēns, O.Icel. kvān, OE. cwēn, OS. quān, wife, 78woman; qiþan, O.Icel. kveða, OE. cweþan, OS. queðan, OHG. quedan, to say; and similarly qiman, to come; riqis, darkness; naqaþs, naked; sigqan, to sink; sagq, he sank.

h, χ

§ 164. Prim. Germanic χ had already become an aspirate initially before vowels during the prim. Germanic period (§ 143). It probably also became an aspirate in Gothic medially between vowels. Examples are:— haban, O.Icel. hafa, OE. habban, OHG. habēn, to have; faíhu, OE. feoh, OHG. fihu, cattle, property; and similarly haírtō, heart; hafjan, to raise; hund, hundred; taíhun, ten; þeihan, to thrive.

Germanic χ (written h, and pronounced like NHG. ch) remained in Gothic in other positions, as hláifs, loaf, bread; hliftus, thief; hráins, pure, clean; daúhtar, daughter; filhan, to hide, bury; nahts, night; jah, and; þáih, he throve.

χw

§ 165. Initial Germanic χw (OE. OS. OHG. hw, O.Icel. hv) became ƕ (§ 19) in Gothic, as ƕas, OE. hwā, OS. hwē, OHG. hwer, who?; ƕeila, O.Icel. hvīl, OE. hwīl, OS. OHG. hwīla, space of time; and similarly ƕaírban, to walk; ƕaþar, which of two; ƕeits, white; ƕōpan, to boast.

Medial and final χw also became ƕ in Gothic, but in O.Icel. and the West Germanic languages it became χ. For examples see § 143.

g, ʒ

§ 166. Prim. Germanic g, which only occurred after ŋ (§ 132), remained in Gothic as in the other Germanic languages, as tuggō, OE. tunge, OS. tunga, OHG. zunga, tongue; and similarly briggan, to bring; figgrs, finger; huggrjan, to hunger; laggs, long.

§ 167. The changes which Germanic ʒ underwent in Gothic cannot be determined with perfect certainty. For the history of ʒ in the other Germanic languages, see § 133. Initially, and medially after consonants, it probably became g, as Goth. OE. guma, O.Icel. gumi, OS. gumo, OHG. gomo, man; baírgan, O.Icel. bjarga, OE. beorgan, OHG. bergan, to hide; and similarly gasts, guest; giban, to give; gōþs, good; grētan, to weep; faírguni, mountain; tulgus, steadfast; azgō, ash, cinder.

§ 168. ʒ (written g) remained medially between vowels, and medially after vowels before voiced consonants, as áugō, O.Icel. auga, OE. ēage, OS. ōga, OHG. ouga, eye; fugls, OE. fugol, OS. fugal, OHG. fogal, bird; and similarly agis, fright; biugan, to bend; steigan, to ascend; bagms, tree; lagjan, to lay; rign, rain; tagr, tear.

§ 169. After vowels both finally and before -s, ʒ probably became χ (= NHG. ch), but was written g. This change of ʒ to χ can be assumed from the corresponding Gothic treatment of Ҍ (§ 161) and đ (§ 173). Examples are acc. 80sing. dag, day; wig, way; ōg, I fear; mag, he can, may; nom. sing. dags, wigs; manags, much, many; baúrgs, city.

Dentals.

t

§ 170. Germanic t remained in Gothic, as tuggō, O.Icel. OS. tunga, OE. tunge, OHG. zunga, tongue; itan, O.Icel. eta, OE. OS. etan, OHG. eȥȥan, to eat; wáit, O.Icel. veit, OE. wāt, OS. wēt, OHG. weiȥ, he knows; and similarly tagr, tear; tamjan, to tame; twái, two; watō, water; witan, to know; haírto, heart; at, at; mat, he measured.

þ

§ 171. Germanic þ remained in Gothic, as þagkjan, OE. þencan, OS. thenkian, OHG. denken, to think; qiþan, O.Icel. kveða, OE. cweþan, OS. queðan, OHG. quedan, to say; acc. áiþ, OE. āþ, OS. ēð, OHG. eid, oath; and similarly þaírh, through; þaúrnus, thorn; þiuþ, good; brōþar, brother; aírþa, earth; fraþjan, to understand; waírþan, to become; qaþ, he said; warþ, he became.

d, đ

§ 172. Germanic d, which only occurred initially and after n, remained in Gothic (§132), as dags, O.Icel. dagr, OE. dæg, OS. dag, OHG. tag, day; Goth. OE. OS. bindan, OHG. bintan, to bind; and similarly diups, deep; driusan, to fall; daúhtar, daughter; dēps, deed; handus, hand; hund, hundred.

§ 173. đ became d after voiced consonants, as waúrd, O.Icel. orð, OE. OS. word, OHG. wort, word; haldan, O.Icel. halda, OE. healdan, OS. haldan, OHG. haltan, to hold; and similarly alds, age, generation; gards, house; gazds, goad; huzd, treasure.

đ became þ after vowels both finally and before final -s; hence the frequent interchange between đ (written d) and 81þ in inflexion, as inf. beidan, to abide, await; ana-biudan, to command; bidjan, to pray, beside pret. sing. báiþ, -báuþ, baþ; gen. sing. gōdis, háubidis, nasidis, beside nom. sing. gōþs, good, háubiþ, head, nasiþs (pp.), saved.

Medial đ (written d) remained after vowels, as fadar, father; beidan, to abide, await; fidwōr, four; midjis, middle; fadrein, paternity, parents. See § 133.

Sibilants.

s

§ 174. Germanic s remained in Gothic, as slēpan, OE. slǣpan, OS. slāpan, OHG. slāfan, to sleep; wisan, O.Icel. vesa, OE. OS. OHG. wesan, to be; hūs (in gud-hūs, house of God), O.Icel. OE. OS. OHG. hūs, house; and similarly andjan, to send; sibun, seven; sitan, to sit; ganisan, to become whole; lisan, to gather; aúhsa, ox; hals, neck; was, I was.

z

§ 175. z only occurred medially and finally in prim. Germanic (§§ 137, 141). Medial z, which became r in the other Germanic languages, generally remained in Gothic, as huzd, OE. OS. hord, OHG. hort, treasure; máiza, OE. māra, OS. mēra, OHG. mēro, more, greater; and similarly azgō, ash, cinder; razda, speech; mizdō, pay, reward; alþiza, older; hazjan, to praise; talzjan, to instruct.

Germanic final -z became -s in Gothic, as gen. diuz-is, riqiz-is, but nom. dius, wild beast; riqis, darkness; nom. sing. dags, from *đaʒaz, day; gasts from *ʒastiz, guest; nom. pl. dagōs from *đaʒōz; gasteis from *ʒastīz; nom. sing. akrs from *akraz, field; nimis from *nimiz(i), thou takest. This -s was dropped when it came to stand after an original s through the loss of a vowel, as waírs from *wirs(i)s older *wirsiz (av.), worse, cp. adj. waírsiza, worse; nom. drus (gen. drusis) from *drusiz, fall; láus, empty, but gen. láusis; freihals, freedom, but gen. freihalsis.

Final -s(-z) was dropped after a short vowel + consonantal r, cp. nom. sing. waír, man; baúr, son; anþar, second; unsar, our, &c., beside nom. sing. dags, day; gasts, guest; akrs, field; swērs, honoured; skeirs, clear; gen. brōþrs, of a brother, &c.

Final -(i)z also disappeared in the dat. pl. (originally instrumental) ending of nouns, adjectives and pronouns, if we are right in assuming that the ending was originally -mis = prim. Germanic -miz, as in dagam, gibōm, gastim, brōþrum, blindáim, þáim. But the original ending may have been simply -mi. And similarly in the first pers. pl. of the pres. indic. which originally ended in -mes, -mos = prim. Germanic -miz, -maz (§ 287).