𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌸𐍃

Gothic

FWOTD – 9 June 2023

Alternative forms

• 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌳𐍃 (manasēds), 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌸𐍃 (manaseiþs)

Etymology

From 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (manna, “man”) +‎ *𐍃𐌴𐌸𐍃 (*sēþs, “seed”), literally “seed of man”. For the semantics, one can compare Latin saeculum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.naˌseːθs/

Noun

𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌸𐍃 • (manasēþs) f

1. the world (human collective existence)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of John (Codex Argenteus) 16.20:

     𐌰𐌼𐌴𐌽, 𐌰𐌼𐌴𐌽, 𐌵𐌹𐌸𐌰 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌸𐌴𐌹 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌹𐌸 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐌽𐍉𐌸 𐌾𐌿𐍃, 𐌹𐌸 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌸𐍃 𐍆𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌸; […]

     amēn, amēn, qiþa izwis þei greitiþ jah gaunōþ jus, iþ manasēþs faginōþ; […]

     Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; […] (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 9.25:

     𐍈𐍉 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌹𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍆𐍄𐌴 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌹𐍃 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰, 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌸𐍉 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌳 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌰, 𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌹𐍃 𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌱𐌹𐌽 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌵𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌿 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃?

     ƕō allis þaurftē gataujiþ sis manna, gageigands þō manasēd alla, iþ sis silbin fraqistjands aiþþau gasleiþjands?

     For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 16.15:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌵𐌰𐌸 𐌳𐌿 𐌹𐌼: 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐍉 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌸 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌺𐌾𐍉, 𐌼𐌴𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐍉 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌴𐌻𐌾𐍉𐌽 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌰𐌹 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌺𐌰𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌹.

     jah qaþ du im: gaggandans in þō manasēþ alakjō, mērjaiþ þō aiwaggēljōn allai þizai gaskaftai.

     And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (KJV).

Usage notes

This word translates κόσμος (kósmos, “order, world”), as does 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌿𐍃 (fairƕus), but 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌸𐍃 (manasēþs) is only used with the sense of "human collective existence", and 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌿𐍃 (fairƕus) only with the sense of "the Universe".

Declension

Feminine i-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌸𐍃 manasēþs	—
Vocative	𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌸 manasēþ	—
Accusative	𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌸 manasēþ	—
Genitive	𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌹𐍃 manasēdais	—
Dative	𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌹 manasēdai	—

See also

• 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃 (alamans, “all of humanity”)
• 𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌿𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 (midjungards, “the inhabited world”)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌿𐍃 (fairƕus, “the world”)

References

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “M21. mana-seþs”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 241
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 90