Gothic/3/Adjectives

Gothic Adjectives

Gothic adjectives can be declined as strong or weak. They are declined according to gender, number, and case. As a rule of thumb, the strong forms are used without a demonstrative pronoun, and the weak forms are used with a demonstrative pronoun. However, certain adjectives are always declined in the weak forms or the strong forms.

Gothic strong adjectives take many of their endings from the declension of pronouns.

braid daur jah rums wigs (Mt 7:13)

"broad (is) is the door and roomy the way".

Weak adjectives take the endings of -n stem nouns, regardless of the underlying stem class of the adjective. Their primary use in Gothic is appositional. The following contrast is most informative:

ik im hairdeis gods

"I am shepherd good"

hairdeis sa goda saiwala seina lagjiþ. (Jn 10:11)

"the shepherd, the good, lays down his soul.

Weak adjectives also accompany a noun in the vocative:

atta weiha (Jn 17:11)

"holy father"

Strong a-stem Adjectives

A-stems are subdivided into pure a-stems, ja-stems, and wa-stems. The endings of a-stem adjectives reflect the endings of a-stem nouns. Wa-stem adjectives decline just like pure a-stems. The adjectives blinds (blind) will serve as a model.

The strong -a declension

Case	blinds, blind/blindata, blinda blind
	Singular						Plural
	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine		Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
Nominative	blinds	–s	blind(ata)	–(ata)	blinda	–a	blindái	–ái	blinda	–a	blindōs	–ōs
Accusative	blindana	–ana	blind(ata)	–(ata)	blinda	–a	blindans	–ans	blinda	–a	blindōs	–ōs
Genitive	blindis	–is	blindis	–is	blindáizōs	–áizōs	blindáizē	–áizē	blindáizē	–áizē	blindáizō	–áizō
Dative	blindamma	–amma	blindamma	–amma	blindái	–ái	blindáim	–áim	blindáim	–áim	blindáim	–áim

Ja-stems

Ja-stem adjectives are subdivided into two classes like the corresponding declension of nouns: ja-stems with a short syllable and ja-stems with a long syllable.

Ja-stems With a Short Syllable

The adjective midjis (middle) will serve as a model.

Case	midjis, midi/midjata, midja middle
	Singular						Plural
	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine		Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
Nominative	midjis	–jis	midi, midjata	–i, –jata	midja	–ja	midjái	–jái	midja	–ja	midjōs	–jōs
Accusative	midjana	–ana	midi, midjata	–i, –jata	midja	–ja	midjans	–ans	midja	–ja	midjōs	–jōs
Genitive	midjis	–jis	midjis	–jis	midjáizōs	–jáizōs	midjáizē	–jáizē	midjáizē	–jáizē	midjáizō	–jáizō
Dative	midjamma	–jamma	midjamma	–jamma	midjái	–jái	midjáim	–jáim	midjáim	–jáim	midjáim	–jáim

Ja-stems With a Long Syllable

This declension is built out of long-stemmed -ja masculine and neuter nouns and long-stemmed -jō feminine nouns. The adjective wilþeis (wild) will serve as a model.

Case	wilþeis, wilþi/wilþjata, wilþi wild
	Singular						Plural
	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine		Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
Nominative	wilþeis	–eis	wilþi, wilþjata	–i, –jata	wilþi	–i	wilþjái	–jái	wilþja	–ja	wilþjōs	–jōs
Accusative	wilþjana	–ana	wilþi, wilþjata	–i, –jata	wilþja	–ja	wilþjans	–ans	wilþja	–ja	wilþjōs	–jōs
Genitive	wilþeis	–eis	wilþeis (or -jis?)	–eis (–jis?)	wilþjáizōs	–jáizōs	wilþjáizē	–jáizē	wilþjáizē	–jáizē	wilþjáizō	–jáizō
Dative	wilþjamma	–jamma	wilþjamma	–jamma	wilþjái	–jái	wilþjáim	–jáim	wilþjáim	–jáim	wilþjáim	–jáim

This declension is built out of long-stemmed -ja masculine and neuter nouns and long-stemmed -jō feminine nouns.

Strong i-stem Adjectives

Adjectives of this class have replaced most forms with forms taken from the -ja declension. The adjective hrains (clean) will serve as a model.

Case	hráins, hráin, hráins clean
	Singular						Plural
	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine		Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
Nominative	hráins	–s	hráin	–	hráins	–s	hráinjái	–jái	hráinja	–ja	hráinjōs	–jōs
Accusative	hráinjana	–jana	hráin	–	hráinja	–ja	hráinjans	–ans	hráinja	–ja	hráinjōs	–jōs
Genitive	hráinis	–is	hráinis	–is	*hráinjáizōs	*–jáizōs	hráinjáizē	–jáizē	hráinjáizē	–jáizē	hráinjáizō	–jáizō
Dative	hráinjamma	–jamma	hráinjamma	–jamma	hráinjái	–jái	hráinjáim	–jáim	hráinjáim	–jáim	hráinjáim	–jáim

U-stem Adjectives

The u-stem adjectives decline like their corresponding noun declension. The genitive and dative of all genders are wanting. The adjective hardus (hard) will serve as a model.

Case	hardus, hardu/hardjata, hardus hard
	Singular						Plural
	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine		Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
Nominative	hardus	–us	hardu, hardjata	–u, –jata	hardus	–us	hardjái	–jái	*hardja	*–ja	hardjōs	–jōs
Accusative	hardjana	–jana	hardu, hardjata	–u, –jata	hardus	–us	hardjans	–ans	*hardja	*–ja	hardjōs	–jōs
Genitive	*hardáus	*–áus	*hardáus	*–áus	*hardjáizōs	*–jáizōs	hardjáizē	–jáizē	hardjáizē	–jáizē	hardjáizō	–jáizō
Dative	*hardjamma	*–jamma	*hardjamma	*–jamma	*hardjái	*–jái	hardjáim	–jáim	hardjáim	–jáim	hardjáim	–jáim

Weak Declension of Adjectives

The weak declension of adjectives agrees exactly with the three nouns hana (cock), hairto (heart), and tuggo (tongue). All adjectives have the same endings, regardless of the underlying stem class of the adjective. The only difference is that ja-stems, i-stems and u-stems have a -j- at the end of the stem.

Case	blinda, blindō, blindō blind
	Singular						Plural
	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine		Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
Nominative	blinda	–a	blindō	–ō	blindō	–ō	blindans	–ans	blindōna	–ōna	blindōns	–ōns
Accusative	blindan	–an	blindō	–ō	blindōn	–ōn	blindans	–ans	blindōna	–ōna	blindōns	–ōns
Genitive	blindins	–ins	blindins	–ins	blindōns	–ōns	blindanē	–anē	blindanē	–anē	blindōnō	–ōnō
Dative	blindin	–in	blindin	–in	blindōn	–ōn	blindam	–am	blindam	–am	blindōm	–ōm

References

Joseph Wright, Grammar of the Gothic language, 2nd edition, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1966
"Gothic Syntax" (PDF).