𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *sparwô. Cognate to Old English spearwa and Old High German sparo.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈspar.wa/

Noun

𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 • (sparwa) m

2. sparrow (bird)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Matthew (Codex Argenteus) 10.29–31:

     𐌽𐌹𐌿 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌹 𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌰𐍃𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌿 𐌱𐌿𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰? 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌹𐌶𐌴 𐌽𐌹 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐌹𐌸 𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰 𐌹𐌽𐌿𐌷 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌹𐍃 𐍅𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽. / 𐌰𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐌻𐌰 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌹𐍃 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌰 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐌳. / 𐌽𐌹 𐌽𐌿𐌽𐌿 𐍉𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌸; 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌼 𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰𐌼 𐌱𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍃𐌹𐌾𐌿𐌸 𐌾𐌿𐍃.

     niu twai sparwans assarjau bugjanda? jah ains izē ni gadriusiþ ana airþa inuh attins izwaris wiljan. / aþþan izwara jah tagla haubidis alla garaþana sind. / ni nunu ōgeiþ; managaim sparwam batizans sijuþ jus.

     Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. / But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. / Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (KJV).

Declension

No singular forms are attested, but they probably existed.

Masculine an-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 sparwa	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰𐌽𐍃 sparwans
Vocative	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 sparwa	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰𐌽𐍃 sparwans
Accusative	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰𐌽 sparwan	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰𐌽𐍃 sparwans
Genitive	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌹𐌽𐍃 sparwins	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌴 sparwanē
Dative	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌹𐌽 sparwin	𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰𐌼 sparwam

Hypernyms

• 𐍆𐌿𐌲𐌻𐍃 (fugls, “bird”)

Coordinate terms

• 𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌺𐍃 (ahaks, “pigeon, dove”)
• 𐌰𐍂𐌰 (ara, “eagle”)
• 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌰 (hana, “rooster”)
• 𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌳𐌿𐌱𐍉 (hraiwadūbō, “turtledove”)

Further reading

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “S119. *sparwa”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 318
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 127