<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<html>
<head>
</head>
<!-- Network content -->
<body style="background-color: #ffffff;">
<!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlStartT|**|-~-->
<div id="ygrp-mlmsg" style="width:655px; position:relative;">
<div id="ygrp-msg" style="width: 490px; padding: 0 15px 0 0; float:left; z-index:1;">
<!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlEndT|**|-~-->
<div id="ygrp-text">
<p><br>
Okay, this isn't a new book, but I'm in a critical mood now...<br>
<br>
Language and History in the Early Germanic World. By D.H. GREEN.<br>
Cambridge University Press, 1998. Pp. xv + 444 pp.<br>
<br>
"The position of OE is remarkable, since it is the only Germanic<br>
language to regularly apply three of the technical runic terms (stæf<br>
`letter', writan `write', rædan `read') to Christian writing in the<br>
Latin alphabet. [...] At the opposite extreme to OE stands Gothic,<br>
where none of the terms was used by Wulfila with regard to his Gothic<br>
Christian script" (358).<br>
<br>
But no Gothic text survives in which any author even mentions the<br>
Gothic script! Besides which, what terms may have existed in Gothic<br>
for runic reading and writing, if any, and whether they differed from<br>
the terms used for reading and writing in the New Testament, is also<br>
completely unknown. *<br>
<br>
"the Gothic word blotan has been safely Christianised by a change of<br>
construction: it no longer governs the dative (`to sacrifice to a<br>
god'), but the accusative (`to worship God') [...]. Wulfila therefore<br>
retained no trace of worship by means of sacrifice and has extracted<br>
the word from its pagan origins" (22). Yet the cognate ON blóta,<br>
which retained its non-Christian connotations, shows exactly the same<br>
grammar as the Gothic verb, accusative for the god, dative for the<br>
means of worship, such as sacrificed animals.<br>
<br>
Green proposes that the use of different words for `holy' in the<br>
Christian sense in OE and Gothic was a deliberate choice: "Wulfila may<br>
therefore have shunned *hailagaz because of its combination of the<br>
physical and the metaphysical. He may also have taken offence at a<br>
particular type of secular function performed by *hailagaz (concerning<br>
assistance in battle, victory)" (360-361).<br>
<br>
But what was there to take offense at when Christian scripture<br>
ascribed the same function to its god: `thanks be to God who has given<br>
us victory' (1Cor 15:57), whose attributes were likened to weapons<br>
(Eph 6:17), service of and faith in whom was described in terms of<br>
armed combat (2Cor 10:4, 1Thess 5:8), under whom was set a heavenly<br>
host (L 2:13), and whose favour was called the prize of victory, Go.<br>
sigislaun (1Cor 9:24, Php 3:14).<br>
<br>
Similarly Green states that "what Wulfila objected to was not the<br>
secular use of *drauhtins as such (frauja also had a secular<br>
function), but rather its military function and the suggestion, if he<br>
had used it, that Christ could be regarded as a military leader"<br>
(361-362).<br>
<br>
Yet independently-<wbr>-it would seem--of a Greek model, the Gothic Bible<br>
uses frauja in exactly this sense of a military leader: drauhtinonds<br>
frauja = STRATEUOMENOS `serves as a soldier' (2Tim 2:4), and in a<br>
positive sense, extolling the virtues of discipline.<br>
<br>
In each of these instances, another possibility is that the choice of<br>
terms in the various Germanic languages may have been quite arbitrary<br>
and that the pagan or secular connotations of the word not<br>
chosen--where such connotations existed--arose after the fact; not<br>
every aspect of language use is deliberate. A third possibility is<br>
that the word not chosen was obsolete in the particular variety of<br>
Gothic or OE, even if it did exist in other dialects, in specialised<br>
uses, or in compounds and derivatives. Or it could be that, in each<br>
case, the word not chosen was current in the language, but rejected<br>
for reasons other than those proposed by Green, or those suggested<br>
here, reasons which may or may not be recoverable to us, and not<br>
necessarily the same reasons for each word.<br>
<br>
Lama Nom<br>
<br>
* Go. stafs occurs twice translating Gk. STOICEION `element', which<br>
also has the meaning `letter of the alphabet'. No cognate of OE<br>
writan occurs in Gothic, except for the derivative writs `stroke of<br>
the pen'. Prefixed verbs derived from *redan occur, though nowhere<br>
attested with the meaning `read'. Instead Gothic has boka `letter',<br>
meljan `write', anakunnan, (us)siggwan `read'.<br>
<br>
</p>
</div>
<!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlStart|**|-~-->
<span width="1" style="color: white;">__._,_.___</span>
<!-- Start the section with Message In topic -->
<div id="ygrp-actbar">
<span class="left">
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/message/9388;_ylc=X3oDMTM0OWtlamw2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BG1zZ0lkAzkzOTMEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMTcwNzk5NjE3BHRwY0lkAzkzODg-">
Messages in this topic </a> (<span class="bld">6</span>)
</span>
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwaTkxcHB2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BG1zZ0lkAzkzOTMEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDcnBseQRzdGltZQMxMTcwNzk5NjE3?act=reply&messageNum=9393">
<span class="bld">
Reply </span> (via web post)
</a> |
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJldXFlaGdjBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA250cGMEc3RpbWUDMTE3MDc5OTYxNw--" class="bld">
Start a new topic </a>
</div>
<!------- Start Nav Bar ------>
<!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| -->
<div id="ygrp-vitnav">
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/messages;_ylc=X3oDMTJlNTFqMG83BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA21zZ3MEc3RpbWUDMTE3MDc5OTYxNw--">Messages</a>
| <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJlamo5dDYxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA21icnMEc3RpbWUDMTE3MDc5OTYxNw--">Members</a>
</div>
<!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| -->
<!-- Do not have place to put it yet -->
<div id="ygrp-grft">
<!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| -->
You are a member of the Gothic-L list. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to <gothic-l-unsubscribe@egroups.com>.
<!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| -->
</div>
<!-- yahoo logo -->
<!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| -->
<div id="ygrp-ft">
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkYXNtNmExBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2dmcARzdGltZQMxMTcwNzk5NjE3">
<img src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/yg/img/logo/ma_grp_160.gif" height="15" width="106" border="0" alt="Yahoo! Groups"></a> <br>
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/join;_ylc=X3oDMTJmNDl2ZWU0BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3N0bmdzBHN0aW1lAzExNzA3OTk2MTc-">Change settings via the Web</a> (Yahoo! ID required) <br>
Change settings via email: <a href="mailto:gothic-l-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email Delivery: Digest">Switch delivery to Daily Digest</a> | <a href = "mailto:gothic-l-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change Delivery Format: Traditional">Switch format to Traditional</a> <br>
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l;_ylc=X3oDMTJkOGczbmM5BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2hwZgRzdGltZQMxMTcwNzk5NjE3">
Visit Your Group
</a> |
<a href="http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/">
Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use </a> |
<a href="mailto:gothic-l-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=">
Unsubscribe </a>
</div> <!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| -->
</div> <!-- ygrp-msg -->
<!-- Sponsor -->
<!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| -->
<div id="ygrp-sponsor" style="width:140px;float: left; clear: none; margin-left: 5px; background:white; margin-bottom:25px ;position:absolute; top:0; right: 0;">
<!-- Network content -->
<!-- Start vitality -->
<div id="ygrp-vital">
<div id="vithd">Recent Activity</div>
<ul style="list-style-type:none; padding: 0; margin: 2px 0;">
<li style="clear: both;">
<div class="ct" style="float: right;"><span style="display:none"> </span>6</div>
<div class="cat"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJmbWNnbDk3BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZtYnJzBHN0aW1lAzExNzA3OTk2MTc-">New Members</a></div>
</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l;_ylc=X3oDMTJlNThuNjBpBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwMjA1OTgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1NzM5MjA2BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbWUDMTE3MDc5OTYxNw--">
Visit Your Group </a>
</div>
<!-- Network content -->
<div id="nc">
<div class="ad">
<div id="hd1">Give Back</div>
<p><a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylc=X3oDMTJtY3A3MHIxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BF9wAzEEZ3JwSWQDMTAyMDU5OARncnBzcElkAzE3MDU3MzkyMDYEc2VjA25jbW9kBHNsawNicmFuZARzdGltZQMxMTcwNzk5NjE3;_ylg=1/SIG=11314uv3k/**http%3a//brand.yahoo.com/forgood">Yahoo! for Good</a></p>
<p>Get inspired</p>
<p>by a good cause.</p>
</div>
<div class="ad">
<div id="hd1">Y! Toolbar</div>
<p><a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylc=X3oDMTJvdDZnZm9oBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BF9wAzIEZ3JwSWQDMTAyMDU5OARncnBzcElkAzE3MDU3MzkyMDYEc2VjA25jbW9kBHNsawN0b29sYmFyBHN0aW1lAzExNzA3OTk2MTc-;_ylg=1/SIG=11c6dvmk9/**http%3a//toolbar.yahoo.com/%3f.cpdl=ygrps">Get it Free!</a></p>
<p>easy 1-click access</p>
<p>to your groups.</p>
</div>
<div class="ad">
<div id="hd1">Yahoo! Groups</div>
<p><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/start;_ylc=X3oDMTJvNnJybW0xBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BF9wAzMEZ3JwSWQDMTAyMDU5OARncnBzcElkAzE3MDU3MzkyMDYEc2VjA25jbW9kBHNsawNncm91cHMyBHN0aW1lAzExNzA3OTk2MTc-">Start a group</a></p>
<p>in 3 easy steps.</p>
<p>Connect with others.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| -->
<div style="clear:both; color: #FFF; font-size:1px;">.</div>
</div> <img src="http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=1020598/grpspId=1705739206/msgId=9393/stime=1170799617/nc1=1/nc2=2/nc3=3" width="1" height="1"> <br>
<span style="color: white;">__,_._,___</span>
<!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlEnd|**|-~-->
</body>
<!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlStart|**|-~-->
<head>
<style type="text/css">
<!--
#ygrp-mlmsg {font-size:13px; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif;*font-size:small;*font:x-small;}
#ygrp-mlmsg table {font-size:inherit;font:100%;}
#ygrp-mlmsg select, input, textarea {font:99% arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif;}
#ygrp-mlmsg pre, code {font:115% monospace;*font-size:100%;}
#ygrp-mlmsg * {line-height:1.22em;}
#ygrp-text{
font-family: Georgia;
}
#ygrp-text p{
margin: 0 0 1em 0;
}
#ygrp-tpmsgs{
font-family: Arial;
clear: both;
}
#ygrp-vitnav{
padding-top: 10px;
font-family: Verdana;
font-size: 77%;
margin: 0;
}
#ygrp-vitnav a{
padding: 0 1px;
}
#ygrp-actbar{
clear: both;
margin: 25px 0;
white-space:nowrap;
color: #666;
text-align: right;
}
#ygrp-actbar .left{
float: left;
white-space:nowrap;
}
.bld{font-weight:bold;}
#ygrp-grft{
font-family: Verdana;
font-size: 77%;
padding: 15px 0;
}
#ygrp-ft{
font-family: verdana;
font-size: 77%;
border-top: 1px solid #666;
padding: 5px 0;
}
#ygrp-mlmsg #logo{
padding-bottom: 10px;
}
#ygrp-vital{
background-color: #e0ecee;
margin-bottom: 20px;
padding: 2px 0 8px 8px;
}
#ygrp-vital #vithd{
font-size: 77%;
font-family: Verdana;
font-weight: bold;
color: #333;
text-transform: uppercase;
}
#ygrp-vital ul{
padding: 0;
margin: 2px 0;
}
#ygrp-vital ul li{
list-style-type: none;
clear: both;
border: 1px solid #e0ecee;
}
#ygrp-vital ul li .ct{
font-weight: bold;
color: #ff7900;
float: right;
width: 2em;
text-align:right;
padding-right: .5em;
}
#ygrp-vital ul li .cat{
font-weight: bold;
}
#ygrp-vital a {
text-decoration: none;
}
#ygrp-vital a:hover{
text-decoration: underline;
}
#ygrp-sponsor #hd{
color: #999;
font-size: 77%;
}
#ygrp-sponsor #ov{
padding: 6px 13px;
background-color: #e0ecee;
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
#ygrp-sponsor #ov ul{
padding: 0 0 0 8px;
margin: 0;
}
#ygrp-sponsor #ov li{
list-style-type: square;
padding: 6px 0;
font-size: 77%;
}
#ygrp-sponsor #ov li a{
text-decoration: none;
font-size: 130%;
}
#ygrp-sponsor #nc {
background-color: #eee;
margin-bottom: 20px;
padding: 0 8px;
}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad{
padding: 8px 0;
}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad #hd1{
font-family: Arial;
font-weight: bold;
color: #628c2a;
font-size: 100%;
line-height: 122%;
}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad a{
text-decoration: none;
}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad a:hover{
text-decoration: underline;
}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad p{
margin: 0;
}
o {font-size: 0; }
.MsoNormal {
margin: 0 0 0 0;
}
#ygrp-text tt{
font-size: 120%;
}
blockquote{margin: 0 0 0 4px;}
.replbq {margin:4}
-->
</style>
</head>
<!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlEnd|**|-~-->
</html><!--End group email -->