𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *erknaz.

Adjective

𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍃 • (airkns)

1. (hapax) holy, sincere or pure (of faith)

Usage notes

• The exact semantic differences between 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (weihs) and the far rarer 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍃 (airkns) and 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌲𐍃 (hailags) are unclear. The latter two however are only attested once, whereas weihs is one of the best-attested words of the Gothic language. Airkns (directly attested in the Ostrogothic sermon recorded in the Gothica Bononiensia) is only found in the Gothic Bible in affixed form (and then rarely) with an apparent meaning leaning towards sincerity (especially sincerity of faith), and hailags is only found in a difficult-to-interpret early runic inscription from an apparently pagan context.

Declension

A-stem
Strong (indefinite) inflection
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍃 airkns	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰 airkna	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽, 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐍄𐌰 airkn, airknata
Accusative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌰 airknana	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰 airkna	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽, 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐍄𐌰 airkn, airknata
Genitive	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌹𐍃 airknis	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌶𐍉𐍃 airknaizōs	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌹𐍃 airknis
Dative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 airknamma	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹 airknai	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 airknamma
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹 airknai	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐍃 airknōs	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰 airkna
Accusative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌽𐍃 airknans	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐍃 airknōs	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰 airkna
Genitive	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌶𐌴 airknaizē	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌶𐍉 airknaizō	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌶𐌴 airknaizē
Dative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌼 airknaim	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌼 airknaim	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌼 airknaim
Weak (definite) inflection
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰 airkna	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉 airknō	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉 airknō
Accusative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌽 airknan	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌽 airknōn	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉 airknō
Genitive	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌹𐌽𐍃 airknins	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌽𐍃 airknōns	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌹𐌽𐍃 airknins
Dative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌹𐌽 airknin	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌽 airknōn	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌹𐌽 airknin
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌽𐍃 airknans	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌽𐍃 airknōns	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌽𐌰 airknōna
Accusative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌽𐍃 airknans	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌽𐍃 airknōns	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌽𐌰 airknōna
Genitive	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌴 airknanē	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌽𐍉 airknōnō	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌴 airknanē
Dative	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌼 airknam	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌼 airknōm	𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌰𐌼 airknam

Derived terms

• 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐌹𐌸𐌰 (airkniþa, “sincerity, genuineness”)
• 𐌿𐌽𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍃 (unairkns, “unholy”)

References

• Carla Falluomini, "Zum gotischen Fragment aus Bologna II: Berichtigungen und neue Lesungen", Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum und Literatur 146.3 (2017) pp. 284-294.