𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *grasą, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (“to grow, become green”). Cognate to Old English græs (“grass”), Old High German gras (“grass”), and related to Latin grāmen (“grass stalk”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡras/

Noun

𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃 • (gras) n

1. blade (narrow leaf of a grass or cereal.)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 4.28:

     𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌱𐍉 𐌰𐌿𐌺 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰 𐌰𐌺𐍂𐌰𐌽 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌹𐌸: 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃, 𐌸𐌰𐌸𐍂𐍉𐌷 𐌰𐌷𐍃, 𐌸𐌰𐌸𐍂𐍉𐌷 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌹𐌸 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌹𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌰𐌷𐍃𐌰.

     silbō auk airþa akran bairiþ: frumist gras, þaþrōh ahs, þaþrōh fulliþ kaurnis in þamma ahsa.

     For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. (KJV).

2. herb (plant whose stem is not woody)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 4.32:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐌰𐌳𐌰, 𐌿𐍂𐍂𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌹𐌸 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌹𐌸 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌶𐌴 𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃𐌴 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌹𐌸 𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃, 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌿𐌽 𐌿𐍆 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌿 𐌹𐍃 𐍆𐌿𐌲𐌻𐍉𐍃 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌽.

     jah þan saiada, urrinniþ jah wairþiþ allaizē grasē maist jah gataujiþ astans mikilans, swaswē magun uf skadau is fuglōs himinis gabauan.

     But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. (KJV).

3. (uncountable) herbage (herbs collectively)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Epistle to the Romans (Codex Ambrosianus A) 14.2:

     𐍃𐌿𐌼𐍃 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌸 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍄𐌰; 𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌰𐌴𐌹 𐌿𐌽𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 𐌹𐍃𐍄, 𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌹𐌸.

     sums raihtis galaubeiþ matjan allata; iþ saei unmahteigs ist, gras matjiþ.

     For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. (KJV).

Declension

Neuter a-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃 gras	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃𐌰 grasa
Vocative	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃 gras	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃𐌰 grasa
Accusative	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃 gras	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃𐌰 grasa
Genitive	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃𐌹𐍃 grasis	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃𐌴 grasē
Dative	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃𐌰 grasa	𐌲𐍂𐌰𐍃𐌰𐌼 grasam

Hyponyms

• 𐌷𐌰𐍅𐌹 (hawi, “grass, hay”)
• 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐌰𐍀𐌹𐍃 (sināpis, “mustard”)

Holonyms

• 𐍈𐌰𐌹𐍄𐌴𐌹𐍃 (ƕaiteis, “wheat”)

Coordinate terms

• 𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌹 (aiƕatundi, “bramble”)
• 𐌱𐌰𐌲𐌼𐍃 (bagms, “tree”)
• 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 (þaurnus, “thorn”)
• 𐌽𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌿𐍃 (nardus, “nard”)
• 𐍂𐌰𐌿𐍃 (raus, “cane”)
• 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌿 (weinatriu, “vine”)
• 𐍅𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌼 (wigadeinōm, “thistle”)

References

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “G102. gras”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 159

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 50