𐍅𐌹𐍃

Gothic

FWOTD – 11 August 2017

Etymology

Unknown; no direct cognates are known in any Germanic language. Lehmann (1986) tentatively suggests a connection to the verb 𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 (wisan, “to be, abide”) (ostensibly in the sense of the sea "being" or abiding as one with the observer). Translates Ancient Greek γαλήνη (galḗnē).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwis/

Noun

𐍅𐌹𐍃 • (wis) n

2. calm (of sea or wind)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Matthew (Codex Argenteus) 8.26:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌵𐌰𐌸 𐌳𐌿 𐌹𐌼 𐌹𐌴𐍃𐌿𐍃: 𐍈𐌰 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌷𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌸, 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌹𐌻 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃! 𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌿𐌷 𐌿𐍂𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍉𐌺 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌼 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌽, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌸 𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻.

     jah qaþ du im iēsus: ƕa faurhteiþ, leitil galaubjandans! þanuh urreisands gasōk windam jah marein, jah warþ wis mikil.

     And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 8.24:

     𐌳𐌿𐌰𐍄𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌿𐍂𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌹𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌿𐌽 𐌹𐌽𐌰 𐌵𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃: 𐍄𐌰𐌻𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳, 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌵𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌽𐌰𐌼! 𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐍃 𐌿𐍂𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍉𐌺 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍅𐌴𐌲𐌰 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌽𐍃; 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌻𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌿𐌽 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌸 𐍅𐌹𐍃.

     duatgaggands þan urraisidēdun ina qiþandans: talzjand, fraqistnam! iþ is urreisands gasōk winda jah þamma wēga watins; jah anaslawaidēdun jah warþ wis.

     And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 4.39:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌿𐍂𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍉𐌺 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌵𐌰𐌸 𐌳𐌿 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌽: 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌻𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹, 𐌰𐍆𐌳𐌿𐌼𐌱𐌽! 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐍃𐌰 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌸 𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻.

     jah urreisands gasōk winda jah qaþ du marein: gaslawai, afdumbn! jah anasilaida sa winds jah warþ wis mikil.

     And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (KJV).

Declension

Neuter a-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐍅𐌹𐍃 wis	𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰 wisa
Vocative	𐍅𐌹𐍃 wis	𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰 wisa
Accusative	𐍅𐌹𐍃 wis	𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰 wisa
Genitive	𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌹𐍃 wisis	𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌴 wisē
Dative	𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰 wisa	𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌼 wisam

Antonyms

• (of wind) 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐍂𐌰 (skūra, “storm”)
• (of sea) 𐍅𐌴𐌲𐍃 (wēgs, “agitation”)

Coordinate terms

• 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐍈𐍉 (þeiƕō, “thunder”)
• 𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌹 (lauhmuni, “lightning”)
• 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌷𐌼𐌰 (milhma, “cloud”)
• 𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌽 (rign, “rain”)
• 𐍃𐌽𐌰𐌹𐍅𐍃 (snaiws, “snow”)
• 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌳𐍃 (winds, “wind”)

References

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 405

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 175