Derrivation suffixes in Gothic

Sat Jan 7 01:04:23 UTC 2012

45. Word Derivation

Words in Gothic are generally simple, derivative, or compound. Simple
words have no discernable internal parts with meaning of their own. Take
for example the nouns abba 'father', áihs 'oath', dags 'day',
fótus 'foot', stáins 'stone', waúrd 'word'. Nouns may be
derived from other words, such as adjectives and verbs, by means of
various suffixes and prefixes. For example suffixation converts the
adjective laggs 'long' into the noun laggei 'length', manags 'much' into
managei 'multitude', milds 'mild' into mildiþa 'mildness'. Examples
of nouns derived from verbs are the following: dragk 'a drink' from
drigkan 'to drink', saggws 'song' from siggwan 'to sing', giba 'gift'
from giban 'to give', un-witi 'ignorance' from *witan 'to know'.
Compound nouns are formed by the conjoining of two or more words to form
a noun. In Gothic, the second element is always a noun, though the first
element can be a noun, adjective, or particle. When the first element is
an a-stem noun or adjective, the -a- of the stem usually remains:
áiÆ•a-tundi 'thornbush', dwala-waúrdei 'foolish talk',
weina-triu 'vine'. The -a- remains in short ja-stems, but not in long
ja-stems: midja-sweipáins 'the flood', niuja-satiþs 'novice'; but
arbi-numja 'heir', agláiti-waúrdei 'indecent language'. The
Å-, jÅ-, i-, and u-stems generally retain their stem vowels
when they form the first element of compounds: mÅta-staþs
'toll-place', þÅ«sundi-faþs 'leader of a thousand men',
mari-sáiws 'sea', fÅtu-baúrd 'footboard'. The n-stem nouns
employ -a- in compounds: áuga-daúrÅ 'window',
staua-stÅls 'judgement seat'. When consonant stems form the first
member of a compound, they sometimes employ the vowel -a- by analogy
with the a-stems, e.g. brÅþra-lubÅ 'brotherly love' and
nahta-mats 'supper'.

Examples of simple adjectives are baírhts 'bright', fagrs 'fair',
háils 'whole', siuks 'sick'. Adjectives, like nouns, could be derived
by means of prefixes: ana-siuns 'visible', fram-aldrs 'very old',
un-fagrs 'unfit'. They could likewise be derived through suffixes: the
noun stáins 'stone' yields the adjective stáinahs 'stony',
waúrd 'word' yields waúrdahs 'verbal'. Nominal composition might
even result in an adjective, the so-called bahuvrÄ«hi or exocentric
compound, which describes a person or thing related to the elements of
the compound. Modern English is replete with examples: a blackbelt is
not a belt, but a martial artist possessing a belt which is black;
Blackbeard is not a beard, but a pirate whose beard is black;
well-intentioned descibes a person with good intentions. Examples in
Gothic are manag-falþs 'having many parts, manifold', láus-handus
'empty-handed'.

Examples of some simple verbs are the following: gaggan 'go', lÄ"tan
'let', lisan 'gather', niman 'take', waírþan 'become'. Verbs were
often derived from nouns and adjectives by means of prefixes and
suffixes. For example, the noun áigin 'property' gives
ga-áigin-Ån 'take possession of'; skalks 'servant' gives
skalkinÅn 'serve'. Many members of the weak verb classes are
examples of just such a process, though at times it is difficult to
discern which is primary, the nominal item or the verbal. For example,
fisks 'a fish' vs. fiskÅn 'to fish'; namÅ 'a name' vs. namnjan
'to name'; weihs 'holy' vs. weihnan 'become holy'.

The following sections provide charts listing the most common prefixes
and suffixes employed in noun, adjective, and verb derivation.

45.1. Nominal and Adjectival Prefixes

Nouns and adjectives employ the same prefixes in the process of
derivation. The following chart gives many of the more important
prefixes, together with their antecedents in the proto-languages, as
well as some examples of their use within Gothic.

Prefix

Meaning

PGmc

PIE

Example

Meaning

af

from, off

*av

*apó

af-drugkja

drunkard

af-guþs

godless

af-lÄ"ts

forgiveness

afar

after, next

*afar

*ápo- + -ero

afar-dags

the next day

afar-sabbatus

the first day after the Sabbath

ana

on, upon

*ana

*an(u)

ana-busns

command

ana-minds

supposition

ana-qiss

blasphemy

ana-siuns

visible

ana-waírþs

future

and(a)

against, toward

*andV

*antV

and-áugi

face

anda-hafts

answer

anda-nahti

evening

anda-þahts

circumspect

at

at, to

*ad

*ad

at-aþni

year

at-witáins

observation

bi

by

*bi

*bhi

bi-háit

strife

bi-sitands

neighbor

dis

apart, asunder

Lat. dis-?

*d(w)is?

dis-wiss

dissolution

faír

around, through

*fer(i)

*per(i)

faír-weiti

spectacle

faúr(a)

before, for

*fur(a/i)

*pr(o/i)

faúr-hÄh

curtain

faúr-stasseis

chief ruler

faúra-daúri

street

faúra-gagga

steward

faúra-hÄh

curtain

fra

before

*fra

*pro

fra-gifts

gift, promise

fra-waúrhts

sin

fra-weit

revenge

fram

from

*fram

*pro-mo

fram-aldrs

very old

fram-gÄhts

progress

ga

near, at, with

*á¸¡a

*kom

ga-baúrþs

birth

ga-bruka

fragment

ga-dÅfs

becoming, fit

ga-guþs

pious

ga-hugds

thought

ga-juk

pair

ga-munds

remembrance

ga-skafts

creation

ga-waúrstwa

fellow worker

hindar

behind

*hindar

*ki-n-d-ero?

hindar-weis

deceitful

id

again

*eð

*eti

id-weit

reproach

in

in

*in

*eni

in-ahs

sober

in-gardja

one of the same household

in-ilÅ

excuse

in-kunja

countryman

inna

within

*inna

*eni-no?

inna-kunds

of the same household

miss(a)

various, false

*missa

*mit-tÄ?

missa-dÄ"þs

misdeed

missa-leiks

various

missa-qiss

discord

miþ

with, under, between

*miþ

*me-ta

miþ-gardi-waddjus

partition wall

miþ-ga-sinþa

travelling companion

miþ-wissei

conscience

uf

up, under

*uv

*upó

uf-áiþeis

under an oath

uf-háuseins

obedience

uf-kunþi

knowledge

ufar

over, above

*uvar

*uper(i)

ufar-fulls

overfull

ufar-gudja

chief priest

un

not, un-

*un

*n

un-agei

fearlessness

un-baírands

barren

un-frÅdei

without understanding

un-háili

disease

un-mahts

infirmity

us

out of, utterly

*Å«z

*Å«s

us-filh

burial

us-kunþs

well-known

us-qiss

accusation

us-stass

resurrection

wiþra

against

*wiþra

*wi- + -tero

wiþra-waírþs

opposite

45.2. Nominal Suffixes

Some suffixes were employed solely to derive nouns. The following chart
gives many of the more important suffixes used to derive nouns, together
with their antecedents in the proto-languages, as well as some examples
of their use within Gothic.

Suffix

Use

PGmc

PIE

Example

Meaning

and

agent noun

*Vnd

*Vnt

bisitands

neighbor

frijÅnds

friend

fijands

enemy

nasjands

savior

arja

agent noun

Lat. Ärius

bÅkareis

scribe

láisareis

teacher

sÅkareis

disputer

assu,   inassu

abstract noun

*(Vn)ass

*(Vn)-ad-t

ibnassus

evenness

ufarassus

overflow

blÅtinassus

worship

hÅrinassus

adultery

dÅ«þi

abstract noun

*dÅ«þi

*tÅ«ti

ajukdÅ«þs

eternity

managdÅ«þs

abundance

gamáindÅ«þs

communion

ein

abstract noun

*Ä«n

*Ä«n

áudagei

blessedness

diupei

depth

laggei

length

iþa

abstract noun

*iþ

*it

aggwiþa

anguish

dáubiþa

deafness

swÄ"iþa

honor

n

abstract noun

*Vn

*Vn

dáupeins

baptizing, baptism

laþÅns

calling, invitation

libáins

living, life

Åþu

abstract noun

*Åþ

*Ät

gáunÅþus

mourning

gabaúrjÅþus

pleasure

ubni,   ufni

abstract noun

*uvnja

*mnjo

fastubni

observance

fráistubni

temptation

waldufni

power

wundufni

wound

þwa

abstract noun

*þwa

*two

fijaþwa

hatred

frijaþwa

love

saliþwÅs (pl.)

dwelling

45.3. Adjectival Suffixes

Other suffixes were employed specifically to derive adjectives from
other elements. The following chart gives many of the more important
suffixes used in deriving adjectives, together with their antecedents in
the proto-languages, as well as some examples of their use within
Gothic.

Suffix

Use

PGmc

PIE

Example

Meaning

aga,   aha

relation

*aga, aha

*oko

áudags

blessed

grÄ"dags

hungry

áinaha

only

stáinahs

stony

eiga

relation

*Ä«ga

*Ä«ko

hrÅþeigs

victorious

láiseigs

apt to teach

mahteigs

mighty

waúrstweigs

effective

eina

material

*Ä«na

*Ä«no

aírþeins

earthen

áiweins

eternal

barizeins

of barley

gulþeins

golden

gumeins

male

iska

quality

*isko

*isko

barnisks

childish

funisks

fiery

gudisks

godly

mannisks

human

iudaíwisks

Jewish

45.4. Verbal Prefixes

Many of the prefixes listed above are also used in forming verbs. There
are, however, a few which are proper only to verbs within Gothic. The
following chart gives the more important prefixes applied to verbs,
together with their antecedents in the proto-languages, as well as some
examples of their use within Gothic.

Prefix

Meaning

PGmc

PIE

Example

Meaning

af

from, off

*av

*apó

af-áikan

deny

af-gaggan

go away

af-lÄ"tan

dismiss

afar

after, next

*afar

*ápo- + -ero

afar-gaggan

follow

ana

on, upon

*ana

*an(u)

ana-áukan

add to

ana-háitan

call on

ana-hneiwan

stoop down

and

against, toward

*and

*ant

and-bindan

unbind

and-niman

receive

and-standan

withstand

at

at, to

*ad

*ad

at-áugjan

show

at-giban

give up

at-saíÆ•an

take heed

at-tÄ"kan

touch

bi

by

*bi

*bhi

bi-áukan

add to

bi-leiban

remain

bi-rinnan

run about

dis

apart, asunder

Lat. dis-

*d(w)is?

dis-dáiljan

share

dis-sitan

settle upon

dis-taíran

tear asunder

du

to, at

*tÅ?

?

du-at-gaggan

go to

du-ginnan

begin

du-rinnan

run to

faúr(a)

before, for

*fur(a/i)

*pr(o/i)

faúr-biudan

forbid

faúr-gaggan

pass by

faúr-qiþan

excuse

faúra-gaggan

go before

faúra-standan

govern

fra

before

*fra

*pro

fra-giban

give

fra-itan

devour

fra-lÄ"tan

liberate

ga

near, at, with

*á¸¡a

*kom

ga-baíran

bring forth

ga-háitan

call together

ga-kiusan

approve

ga-taíran

destroy

hindar

behind

*hindar

*ki-n-d-ero?

hindar-leiþan

go behind

in

in

*in

*eni

in-brannjan

put in the fire

in-saíÆ•an

look at

tus

(pejorative)

*tuz

*dus

tuz-wÄ"rjan

doubt

twis

two, separate, apart

*twis

*dwis

twis-standan

depart from one, diverge

þaírh

through

*þerx

*ter-kwe

þaírh-baíran

carry through

þaírh-gaggan

go through

þaírh-wisan

remain

uf

up, under

*uv

*upó

uf-blÄ"san

blow up

uf-brikan

reject

uf-dáupjan

baptize

uf-háusjan

submit

uf-ligan

lie under

ufar

over, above

*uvar

*uper(i)

ufar-gaggan

trangress

ufar-munnÅn

forget

ufar-steigan

mount up

und

to, toward

*unþ

*nt

und-greipan

seize

und-rinnan

run to

unþa

away from

*unþa

*nto

unþa-þliuhan

escape

us

out of, utterly

*Å«z

*Å«s

us-anan

expire

us-dreiban

drive out

us-láubjan

permit

us-qiþan

proclaim

wiþra

against

*wiþra

*wi- + -tero

wiþra-gaggan

go to meet

wiþra-mÅtjan

go to meet

45.5. Verbal Suffixes

The most common suffixes employed in deriving verbs have actually been
dealt with separately. These are in fact the suffixes of most of the
weak verb classes. In many instances, however, such derivation had taken
place long before Gothic became a separate language in the Germanic
family. There are, however, a few additional suffixes used to derive
verbs; but they are not sufficiently numerous to form separate verb
classes as such. The following chart lists these suffixes, together with
their antecedents in the proto-languages, as well as some examples of
their use within Gothic.

Suffix

Use

PGmc

PIE

Example

Meaning

atjan

intensive

*at-jan

*ad-jan

laúhatjan

lighten

káupatjan

buffet, beat

swÅgatjan

sigh, groan

inÅn

*in-Ån

gudjinÅn

be a priest

ga-áiginÅn

take possession of

skalkinÅn

serve

hÅrinÅn

commit adultery

--- In gothic-l at yahoogroups.com, "kevin.behrens at ..."
<becareful_icanseeyourfuture at ...> wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I am always wondering, how to make nouns out of verbs or adjectives in
gothic. First there are verbal nouns like "the making", how are they
made of the several verbs? And how are those made like "the search" out
of "to search"? (I only read that -jan verbs turn into -eins -> sokjan,
sokeins. But what about the other verbs?) And last but not least, how
are the nouns created that say, that somebody is doing something: "to
drive" -> "driver". I have to know it for all the verb classes, I guess
there are different variations how to make that. Could you please help
me or know some sources where this is explained?
> Thank you very much.
> Greetings
> Kevin
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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