[gothic-l] Re: The Goths, Gutland (Gutones) and the Guta Saga

[dirk at SMRA.CO.UK]

--- In gothic-l at y..., "M. Carver" <matt at i...> wrote:
> 
> > Maybe somebody can tell us whether this is the same or similar to
> > Gothic. I have messaged a friend at the Institute of Linguistics 
at
> > Stockholm University, but have not yet had an answer.
> > 
> > cheers,
> > 
> > Dirk
> 
> I don't understand this question, I think, for it seems too simple 
to say
> that Gothic is *not* the Gotlandic dialect of Old Swedish. The 
similarities
> which the two bear, and perhaps only by coincidence (the latter is 
in this
> way conservative), are mostly phonological, as Gordon's words made 
clear in
> my last post on the subject. The following shows that, having 
considered
> phonological similarities such as diphthongs, even in a slavish 
translation
> the two languages are very different.
> 
> > "Mangir kunungar striþu a Gutland miþan haiþit war; þau hieldu 
Gutar e
> > iemlika sigri oc ret sinum. Siþan sentu Gutar sendimen manga
> > til Swiarikis, en engin þaira ficc friþ gart, fyrr þan Awair 
Strabain
> > af Alfa socn, hann gierþi fyrsti friþ wiþr Swia kunung."
> 
> filu þiudanai waihun ana Gut-land(a) miþþanei haiþnata was; þauh 
haihaldun
> Gutos aiw sigis jah *garaiht seinamma. þanaseiþs sandidedun Gutos 
filu
> ?sagjans du *Swiareika, iþ ni ainshun ize gafriþon mahta faurþizei 
[Awair
> Strabain af Alfa socn], is taujada frumist friþu wiþra Swia-þiudan.
> 
> Matþaius


Hi Matthew,

I am not a linguist, so in my ignorance I thought one can simply 
analyse two similar examples of the two languages to establish whether 
Old Gutnish and Gothic are as close (even to the degree of mutual 
intelligibility) as some participants have claimed.

cheers,
Dirk  




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