Gothic/3/Adjectives

Gothic Adjectives Gothic adjectives can be declined as strong or weak. They are declined according to gender, number, and case. As a rule of thumb, the strong forms are used without a demonstrative pronoun, and the weak forms are used with a demonstrative pronoun. However, certain adjectives are always declined in the weak forms or the strong forms. Gothic strong adjectives take many of their endings from the declension of pronouns. braid daur jah rums wigs (Mt 7:13) "broad (is) is the door and roomy the way". Weak adjectives take the endings of -n stem nouns, regardless of the underlying stem class of the adjective. Their primary use in Gothic is appositional. The following contrast is most informative: ik im hairdeis gods "I am shepherd good" hairdeis sa goda saiwala seina lagjiþ. (Jn 10:11) "the shepherd, the good, lays down his soul. Weak adjectives also accompany a noun in the vocative: atta weiha (Jn 17:11) "holy father" Strong a-stem Adjectives A-stems are subdivided into pure a-stems, ja-stems, and wa-stems. The endings of a-stem adjectives reflect the endings of a-stem nouns. Wa-stem adjectives decline just like pure a-stems. The adjectives blinds (blind) will serve as a model. The strong -a declension Case blinds, blind/blindata, blinda blind Singular Plural Masculine Neuter Feminine Masculine Neuter Feminine Nominative blinds –s blind(ata) –(ata) blinda –a blindái –ái blinda –a blindōs –ōs Accusative blindana –ana blindans –ans Genitive blindis –is blindis –is blindáizōs –áizōs blindáizē –áizē blindáizē –áizē blindáizō –áizō Dative blindamma –amma blindamma –amma blindái –ái blindáim –áim blindáim –áim blindáim –áim Ja-stems Ja-stem adjectives are subdivided into two classes like the corresponding declension of nouns: ja-stems with a short syllable and ja-stems with a long syllable. Ja-stems With a Short Syllable The adjective midjis (middle) will serve as a model. Case midjis, midi/midjata, midja middle Singular Plural Masculine Neuter Feminine Masculine Neuter Feminine Nominative midjis –jis midi, midjata –i, –jata midja –ja midjái –jái midja –ja midjōs –jōs Accusative midjana –ana midjans –ans midjōs Genitive midjis –jis midjis –jis midjáizōs –jáizōs midjáizē –jáizē midjáizē –jáizē midjáizō –jáizō Dative midjamma –jamma midjamma –jamma midjái –jái midjáim –jáim midjáim –jáim midjáim –jáim Ja-stems With a Long Syllable This declension is built out of long-stemmed -ja masculine and neuter nouns and long-stemmed -jō feminine nouns. The adjective wilþeis (wild) will serve as a model. Case wilþeis, wilþi/wilþjata, wilþi wild Singular Plural Masculine Neuter Feminine Masculine Neuter Feminine Nominative wilþeis –eis wilþi, wilþjata –i, –jata wilþi –i wilþjái –jái wilþja –ja wilþjōs –jōs Accusative wilþjana –ana wilþja –ja wilþjans –ans Genitive wilþeis –eis wilþeis (or -jis?) –eis (–jis?) wilþjáizōs –jáizōs wilþjáizē –jáizē wilþjáizē –jáizē wilþjáizō –jáizō Dative wilþjamma –jamma wilþjamma –jamma wilþjái –jái wilþjáim –jáim wilþjáim –jáim wilþjáim –jáim This declension is built out of long-stemmed -ja masculine and neuter nouns and long-stemmed -jō feminine nouns. Strong i-stem Adjectives Adjectives of this class have replaced most forms with forms taken from the -ja declension. The adjective hrains (clean) will serve as a model. Case hráins, hráin, hráins clean Singular Plural Masculine Neuter Feminine Masculine Neuter Feminine Nominative hráins –s hráin – hráins –s hráinjái –jái hráinja –ja hráinjōs –jōs Accusative hráinjana –jana hráinja –ja hráinjans –ans Genitive hráinis –is hráinis –is *hráinjáizōs *–jáizōs hráinjáizē –jáizē hráinjáizē –jáizē hráinjáizō –jáizō Dative hráinjamma –jamma hráinjamma –jamma hráinjái –jái hráinjáim –jáim hráinjáim –jáim hráinjáim –jáim U-stem Adjectives The u-stem adjectives decline like their corresponding noun declension. The genitive and dative of all genders are wanting. The adjective hardus (hard) will serve as a model. Case hardus, hardu/hardjata, hardus hard Singular Plural Masculine Neuter Feminine Masculine Neuter Feminine Nominative hardus –us hardu, hardjata –u, –jata hardus –us hardjái –jái *hardja *–ja hardjōs –jōs Accusative hardjana –jana hardjans –ans Genitive *hardáus *–áus *hardáus *–áus *hardjáizōs *–jáizōs hardjáizē –jáizē hardjáizē –jáizē hardjáizō –jáizō Dative *hardjamma *–jamma *hardjamma *–jamma *hardjái *–jái hardjáim –jáim hardjáim –jáim hardjáim –jáim Weak Declension of Adjectives The weak declension of adjectives agrees exactly with the three nouns hana (cock), hairto (heart), and tuggo (tongue). All adjectives have the same endings, regardless of the underlying stem class of the adjective. The only difference is that ja-stems, i-stems and u-stems have a -j- at the end of the stem. Case blinda, blindō, blindō blind Singular Plural Masculine Neuter Feminine Masculine Neuter Feminine Nominative blinda –a blindō –ō blindō –ō blindans –ans blindōna –ōna blindōns –ōns Accusative blindan –an blindōn –ōn blindans –ans Genitive blindins –ins blindins –ins blindōns –ōns blindanē –anē blindanē –anē blindōnō –ōnō Dative blindin –in blindin –in blindōn –ōn blindam –am blindam –am blindōm –ōm References Joseph Wright, Grammar of the Gothic language, 2nd edition, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1966 http://users.clas.ufl.edu/drjdg/oe/pubs/gothicsyntax.pdf Gothic Syntax