𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *akwisī. Cognate to Old English æx and Old Norse øx, and probably of similar origin as Koine Greek ἀξίνη (axínē), which it translates. For more, see the Proto-Germanic entry.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.kʷi.zi/

Noun

𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹 • (aqizi) f

2. (hapax) axe (tool for felling trees)
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, Luke 3:9:

     𐌰𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌾𐌿 𐍃𐍉 𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹 𐌰𐍄 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍄𐌹𐌼 𐌱𐌰𐌲𐌼𐌴 𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌹𐌸: 𐌰𐌻𐌻 𐌽𐌿 𐌱𐌰𐌲𐌼𐌴 𐌿𐌽𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌴 𐌰𐌺𐍂𐌰𐌽 𐌲𐍉𐌳 𐌿𐍃𐌼𐌰𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌳𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌹𐌽 𐍆𐍉𐌽 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌳𐌰.

     aþþan ju sō aqizi at waurtim bagmē ligiþ: all nu bagmē unbairandanē akran gōd usmaitada jah in fōn galagjada.

     And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (KJV)

Declension

This word is only attested in the nominative singular, which is not enough to determine to which extent the Proto-Germanic ablaut was kept. Three possible paradigms are given below.

The ablaut as inherited from Proto-Germanic:

Feminine ō-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹 aqizi	𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 akuzjōs
Vocative	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹 aqizi	𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 akuzjōs
Accusative	𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌶𐌾𐌰 akuzja	𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 akuzjōs
Genitive	𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 akuzjōs	𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉 akuzjō
Dative	𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌹 akuzjai	𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐌼 akuzjōm

With ablaut, but with regularized consonantism:

Feminine ō-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹 aqizi	𐌰𐌵𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 aquzjōs
Vocative	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹 aqizi	𐌰𐌵𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 aquzjōs
Accusative	𐌰𐌵𐌿𐌶𐌾𐌰 aquzja	𐌰𐌵𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 aquzjōs
Genitive	𐌰𐌵𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 aquzjōs	𐌰𐌵𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉 aquzjō
Dative	𐌰𐌵𐌿𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌹 aquzjai	𐌰𐌵𐌿𐌶𐌾𐍉𐌼 aquzjōm

Without ablaut:

Feminine ō-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹 aqizi	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 aqizjōs
Vocative	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌹 aqizi	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 aqizjōs
Accusative	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌾𐌰 aqizja	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 aqizjōs
Genitive	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌾𐍉𐍃 aqizjōs	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌾𐍉 aqizjō
Dative	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌹 aqizjai	𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌶𐌾𐍉𐌼 aqizjōm

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 95
• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “A190. aqizi”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 40