[gothic-l] Re: Word Study : Directions

[Matthew Carver]

--- In gothic-l at egroups.com, Manuel Gutierrez Algaba <irmina at c...> 
wrote:
> On Thu, 20 Jul 2000, M. Carver wrote:
> > Wespero-, Evening, night. I. Reduced form *wes- 1. Suffixed form
> > *wes-to- in Germanic *west- II. Possibly Gmc. *wis- in Late Latin
> > Visigothi "West Goths". (despite possible evidence for *wisi-,
"good")
> 
> I've heard that *wisi- may stand for "small". So visigothi are
> "small goths".
> 
> And, I've heard that Ostrogoths means "shining" (ilustres, good,
> outperforming)
>  goths.
> 
> Regards/Saludos
> Manolo

That's interesting. I wonder what the source was for that
translation. 
Usually we see austra- meaning "east" in semantic progression
following 
"dawn" < "shining". If the terms for the Gothic tribes were self-
aggrandizing rather than geographical, it would not go against 
methodology revealed by Gothic personal names. Still, the
coincidental 
similarity to West & East in wisi- and austra- is too salient, 
especially after such confirmation as respective geographical 
distribution.

Matþaius



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