𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *awistrą. Cognate to Old English ēwestre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.wistr/

Noun

𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 • (awistr) n

2. (hapax) sheepfold (enclosure for keeping sheep)
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, John 10:16:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐌽𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌰 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 𐌰𐌹𐌷 𐌸𐍉𐌴𐌹 𐌽𐌹 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐌳 𐌸𐌹𐍃 𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐍃, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐍉 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌻 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌱𐌽𐍉𐍃 𐌼𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌶𐍉𐍃 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐌰𐌹𐌽 𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌸𐌹, 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐍃.

     jah anþara lamba aih þōei ni sind þis awistris, jah þō skal briggan, jah stibnōs meinaizōs hausjand, jah wairþand ain awēþi, ains hairdeis.

     And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd. (ASV)

Declension

Only attested in the genitive singular 𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐍃 (awistris), which makes an a-stem (masculine or neuter) and a masculine i-stem equally likely possibilities. However, the existence of 𐌲𐌹𐌻𐍃𐍄𐍂 (gilstr, “tax”) and 𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 n (hulistr, “veil”), both a-stems and seemingly featuring the same suffix (to 𐌲𐌹𐌻𐌳 (gild, “tax”) and 𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (huljan, “to cover”)), tilts the evidence in favor of a neuter a-stem.

Neuter a-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 awistr	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰 awistra
Vocative	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 awistr	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰 awistra
Accusative	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 awistr	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰 awistra
Genitive	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐍃 awistris	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌴 awistrē
Dative	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰 awistra	𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰𐌼 awistram

Hypernyms

• 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌰 (garda, “enclosure, pen”)

Related terms

• 𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌸𐌹 (awēþi, “flock of sheep”)

See also

• 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐍃 (hairdeis, “shepherd”)
• 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 (lamb, “sheep, lamb”)
• 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰 (wulla, “wool”)

Further reading

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “A241. *awistr”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 53
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 15