𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *berganą (“to preserve, keep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛrɡan/, [ˈbɛrɣan]

Verb

𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽 • (bairgan)

1. to keep (maintain the condition of, preserve) [with dative]
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, John 12:25:

     𐍃𐌰𐌴𐌹 𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌾𐍉𐌸 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌰 𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰, 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌵𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍃𐌰𐌴𐌹 𐍆𐌹𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌰 𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌰𐌿, 𐌹𐌽 𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌹 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌽 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹.

     saei frijōþ saiwala seina, fraqisteiþ izai, jah saei fiaiþ saiwala seina in þamma fairƕau, in libainai aiweinōn bairgiþ izai.

     He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (KJV)

   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, John 17:15:

     𐌽𐌹 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰 𐌴𐌹 𐌿𐍃𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌹𐍃 𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌿𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌰𐌿, 𐌰𐌺 𐌴𐌹 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍃 𐌹𐌼 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌴𐌻𐌾𐌹𐌽.

     ni bidja ei usnimais ins us þamma fairƕau, ak ei bairgais im faura þamma unsēljin.

     I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (KJV)

Conjugation

Class 3 strong
Infinitive	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽 bairgan
Indicative	Present	Past	Present passive
1st singular	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰 bairga	𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌲 barg	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌰 bairgada
2nd singular	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌹𐍃 bairgis	𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌲𐍄 bargt	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌶𐌰 bairgaza
3rd singular	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌹𐌸 bairgiþ	𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌲 barg	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌰 bairgada
1st dual	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐍉𐍃 bairgōs	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌿 baurgu	—
2nd dual	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐍄𐍃 bairgats	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌿𐍄𐍃 baurguts	—
1st plural	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌼 bairgam	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌿𐌼 baurgum	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰 bairganda
2nd plural	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌹𐌸 bairgiþ	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌿𐌸 baurguþ	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰 bairganda
3rd plural	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳 bairgand	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌿𐌽 baurgun	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰 bairganda
Subjunctive	Present	Past	Present passive
1st singular	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌿 bairgau	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌿 baurgjau	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌿 bairgaidau
2nd singular	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍃 bairgais	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌴𐌹𐍃 baurgeis	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌿 bairgaizau
3rd singular	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹 bairgai	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌹 baurgi	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌿 bairgaidau
1st dual	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰 bairgaiwa	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌴𐌹𐍅𐌰 baurgeiwa	—
2nd dual	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍃 bairgaits	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌴𐌹𐍄𐍃 baurgeits	—
1st plural	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌰 bairgaima	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌼𐌰 baurgeima	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿 bairgaindau
2nd plural	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌸 bairgaiþ	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌸 baurgeiþ	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿 bairgaindau
3rd plural	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰 bairgaina	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰 baurgeina	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿 bairgaindau
Imperative
2nd singular	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲 bairg
3rd singular	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌿 bairgadau
2nd dual	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐍄𐍃 bairgats
2nd plural	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌹𐌸 bairgiþ
3rd plural	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿 bairgandau
	Present	Past
Participles	𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 bairgands	𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽𐍃 baurgans

Derived terms

• 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gabairgan)

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 16