𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌰

Gothic

FWOTD – 17 June 2024

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *grōbō. Cognates include English groove, Dutch groef, groeve.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡroːba/, [ˈɡroːβa]

Noun

𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌰 • (grōba) f

1. foxhole (burrow of a fox)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Matthew (Codex Argenteus) 8.20:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐌸 𐌳𐌿 𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌹𐌴𐍃𐌿𐍃: 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍉𐌽𐍃 𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐍉𐍃 𐌰𐌹𐌲𐌿𐌽, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍆𐌿𐌲𐌻𐍉𐍃 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌹𐍃 𐍃𐌹𐍄𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃, 𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌿𐍃 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌽𐌹 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐍈𐌰𐍂 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌷𐌽𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌹.

     jah waþ du imma iēsus: fauhōns grōbōs aigun, jah fuglōs himinis sitlans, iþ sunus mans ni habaiþ ƕar haubiþ sein anahnaiwjai.

     And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 9.58:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌵𐌰𐌸 𐌳𐌿 𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌹𐌴𐍃𐌿𐍃: 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍉𐌽𐍃 𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐍉𐍃 𐌰𐌹𐌲𐌿𐌽 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍆𐌿𐌲𐌻𐍉𐍃 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌹𐍃 𐍃𐌹𐍄𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃; 𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌿𐍃 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌽𐌹 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐍈𐌰𐍂 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌸 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌹.

     jah qaþ du imma iēsus: fauhōns grōbōs aigun jah fuglōs himinis sitlans; iþ sunus mans ni habaiþ ƕar haubiþ galagjai.

     And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. (KJV).

Declension

No singular forms are attested, but they probably existed.

Feminine ō-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌰 grōba	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐍉𐍃 grōbōs
Vocative	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌰 grōba	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐍉𐍃 grōbōs
Accusative	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌰 grōba	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐍉𐍃 grōbōs
Genitive	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐍉𐍃 grōbōs	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐍉 grōbō
Dative	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌰𐌹 grōbai	𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐍉𐌼 grōbōm

Coordinate terms

• 𐍃𐌹𐍄𐌻𐍃 (sitls, “seat, throne, bird's nest”)

Related terms

• 𐌲𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰 (graba, “ditch, trench”)
• 𐌲𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (graban, “to dig”)

Descendants

• → Galician: groba
• → Asturian: engrueba

See also

• 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍉 (fauhō, “fox”)

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 51