Gothic/2/Declension
Gothic Nouns edit
Gothic nouns have three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. All Gothic nouns change their ending depending on the case and gender. To further simplify Gothic nouns, we can put them into groups that share the same ending. These groups are called noun declensions. Gothic noun declensions are divided into seven distinct groups: a-declensions, o-declensions, i-declensions, u-declensions, r-declensions, and weak declensions. There is also a class of minor declensions.
The a-declension edit
The Gothic a-declension consists of masculine and neuter nouns. This class corresponds to the Latin and Greek second declension (Latin -us, -um; Greek ος, ον). Furthermore, this class is subdivided into pure a-stems, ja-stems, and wa-stems.
Pure a-stems edit
Case | dags, dagōs day m. |
waúrd, waúrda word n. | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |||||
Nominative | dags | –s | dagōs | –ōs | waúrd | – | waúrda | –a |
Accusative (Vocative) | dag | – | dagans | –ans | ||||
Genitive | dagis | –is | dagē | –ē | waúrdis | –is | waúrdē | –ē |
Dative | daga | –a | dagam | –am | waúrda | –a | waúrdam | –am |
Ja-stems edit
Ja-stems decline the same as pure a-stems, but with a -j preceding. Within the ja-stems, a distinction is made between those with a long syllable and those with a short syllable.
Case | harjis, harjōs army m. |
haírdeis, haírdjōs herdsman m. |
kuni, kunja race n. | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |||||||
Nominative | harjis | –jis | harjōs | –jōs | haírdeis | –eis | haírdjōs | –jōs | kuni | -i | kunja | –ja |
Accusative (Vocative) | hari | -i | harjans | –jans | haírdi | -i | haírdjans | –jans | ||||
Genitive | harjis | –jis | harjē | –jē | haírdeis | –eis | haírdjē | –jē | kunjis | –jis | kunjē | –jē |
Dative | harja | –ja | harjam | –jam | haírdja | –ja | haírdjam | –jam | kunja | –ja | kunjam | –jam |
Wa-stems edit
Wa-stems nouns decline just like pure a-stems, but with -w.
Case | þius, þiwōs servant m. |
kniu, kniwa knee n. | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |||||
Nominative | þius | –s | þiwōs | –ōs | kniu | – | kniwa | –a |
Accusative (Vocative) | þiu | – | þiwans | –ans | ||||
Genitive | þiwis | –is | þiwē | –ē | kniwis | –is | kniwē | –ē |
Dative | þiwa | –a | þiwam | –am | kniwa | –a | kniwam | –am |
O-stems edit
This declension only contains feminine nouns and corresponds to the Latin and Greek first declension (Latin -a, -am; Greek -η, ην). Just like a-stems, it is subdivided into pure o-stems, jo-stems, and wo-stems.
Pure O-stems edit
Case | giba, gibōs gift f. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Nominative-Accusative | giba | –a | gibōs | –ōs |
Genitive | gibōs | –ōs | gibō | –ō |
Dative | gibái | –ái | gibōm | –ōm |
Jo-stems edit
Jo-stems decline just like pure o-stems, but with -j. Short stem jo-stems decline the same as pure o-stems.
Long syllable jo-stem have a different nominative singular ending in -i:
Case | bandi, bandjōs band f. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Nominative | bandi | –i | bandjōs | –jōs |
Accusative | bandja | –ja | ||
Genitive | bandjōs | –jōs | bandjō | –jō |
Dative | bandjái | –jái | bandjōm | –jōm |
Wo-stems edit
Wo-stems decline just like pure o-stems.
I-Declension edit
The i-declension contains both masculine and feminine nouns.
Case | gasts, gastis stranger, guest m. |
qēns, qēneis wife f. | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |||||
Nominative | gasts | –s | gasteis | –eis | qēns | –s | qēneis | –eis |
Accusative (Vocative) | gast | – | gastins | –ins | qēn | – | qēnins | –ins |
Genitive | gastis | –is | gastē | –ē | qēnáis | –áis | qēnē | –ē |
Dative | gasta | –a | gastim | –im | qēnái | –ái | qēnim | –im |
Abstract nouns ending in -eins are declined like feminine i-stem nouns.
Case | láiseins, láiseinōs doctrine f. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Nominative | láiseins | –s | láiseinōs | –ōs |
Accusative | láisein | – | láiseinins | –ins |
Genitive | láiseináis | –áis | láiseinō | –ō |
Dative | láiseinái | –ái | láiseinim | –im |
U-Declension edit
The u-declension contains all genders. Both masculine and feminine nouns decline the same. Only a few neuter u-declension nouns are extant and no plural exist.
Case | sunus, sunjus son m. |
faíhu property n. | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | ||||
Nominative | sunus | –us | sunjus | –jus | faíhu | –u |
Accusative (Vocative) | sunu | –u | sununs | –uns | ||
Genitive | sunáus | –áus | suniwē | –iwē | faíháus | –áus |
Dative | sunáu | –áu | sunum | –um | faíháu | –áu |
Weak Declension edit
Masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns belong to this declension.
An-Declension edit
Weak masculine and neuter nouns belong to this declension.
Case | atta, attans father m. |
haírtō, haírtōna heart n. | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |||||
Nominative | atta | –a | attans | –ans | haírtō | –ō | haírtōna | –ōna |
Accusative | attan | –an | attans | –ans | ||||
Genitive | attins | –ins | attanē | –anē | haírtins | –ins | haírtanē | –anē |
Dative | attin | –in | attam | –am | haírtin | –in | haírtam | –am |
On-Declension edit
This declension is the feminine counterpart of the an declension.
Case | tuggō, tuggōns tongue f. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Nominative | tuggō | –ō | tuggōns | –ōns |
Accusative | tuggōn | –ōn | ||
Genitive | tuggōns | –ōns | tuggōnō | –ōnō |
Dative | tuggōn | –ōn | tuggōm | –ōm |
Minor Declensions edit
R-Declension edit
A few family nouns inherited from Proto-Indo-European have a very archaic declension. Feminines and masculines have identical forms.
Case | swistar, swistrjus sister f. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Nominative | swistar | –ar | swistrjus | –rjus |
Accusative | swistruns | –runs | ||
Genitive | swistrs | –rs | swistrē | –rē |
Dative | swistr | –r | swistrum | –rum |
-Nd Declension edit
These nouns are old present participles, corresponding to nouns in -nt in Latin and Greek.
Case | frijōnds, frijōnds friend m. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Nominative | frijōnds | –s | frijōnds | –s |
Accusative | frijōnd | – | ||
Genitive | frijōndis | –is | frijōndē | –ē |
Dative | frijōnd | – | frijōndam | –am |
Consonant Declension edit
These nouns correspond to the consonant declensions in Latin and Greek (in both cases, part of the third declension). Only traces of masculines are extant, but feminines are fairly well attested.
Case | reiks, reiks ruler m. |
baúrgs, baúrgs city f. | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |||||
Nominative | reiks | –s | reiks | –s | baúrgs | –s | baúrgs | –s |
Acc. | reik | – | baúrg | – | ||||
Gen. | reikis | –is, –s | reikē | –ē | baúrgs | –s | baúrgē | –ē |
Dative | reik | – | reikam | –am, um | baúrg | – | baúrgim | –im |