*gastiz

Reconstruction

The word is *gastiz in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *ʒastiz in Orel and Fulk,^[3][4] and the stem *gasti- in Kroonen and Köbler.^[5][6] Antonsen writes Proto-Germanic *gast-i-z.^[7]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis (“stranger, guest”):^[1][2] Kroonen gives the preform *ghost-i- and calls the word a European, perhaps West European, one.^[5]

Morphology

A masculine i-stem.^[5][6] Ringe derives the nominative plural *gastīz from PIE *ghósteyes through *gostijiz, with loss of *j and contraction.^[8] In Gothic the singular went over to the a-stem inflection, while the plural Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐍃 (gasteis) stayed an i-stem.^[9] Fulk derives Old English giest from *ʒastiz through umlaut and palatal diphthongisation.^[4]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍃 (gasts), Old Norse gestr, Old English giest, Old Frisian jest, Old Saxon gast and Old High German gast.^[5] It is old in runic names: Antonsen reads Proto-Norse ᚷᚨᛊᛏ (-gast) on the Vimose buckle of 200 AD, and the nominative *gast-i-z at the end of a name on the Einang stone of 350–400.^[10][7] EWA lists further names: Proto-Norse ᚺᛚᛖᚹᚨᚷᚨᛊᛏᛁᛉ (hlewagastiz) on horn B of Gallehus, about 400, Proto-Norse ᛊᚨᛚᛁᚷᚨᛊᛏᛁᛉ (saligastiz) on the Berga stone and Proto-Norse ᚹᛁᛞᚢᚷᚨᛊᛏᛁᛉ (widugastiz) on the Sunde stone, both about 500.^[11] Wiktionary allows that the name Harigasti on the Negau helmet, of 450–350 BC, already contains it.^[2] The Gothic word is in Wulfila's Bible.^[12] A form on the Stentoften stone once read as "nine guests" is now read, after Santesson, as "nine steeds".^[13][4]

Competing analyses

Outside Germanic, the word matches Latin hostis (“stranger, enemy”) and Proto-Slavic *gostь (“guest”).^[5][3] Lehmann reports Berneker's view that the Slavic word is not a Germanic loan.^[14] Kroonen thinks the word was the opposite of IE *sokH-i- "associate" in the West Indo-European area, so the two i-suffixes are probably parallel.^[5] Its further origin is uncertain: Casaretto rejects the common analysis as a ti-formation "the eater" to the root of Sanskrit "to eat", because of the masculine gender, the concrete meaning and the o-grade, and prefers Eichner's "taking part in the meal", an i-adjective to a noun "meal"; he also finds Heidermanns's "standing apart" worth considering.^[15] Feist set up a basic meaning "stranger", split into "enemy" and "guest".^[16]

Meanings

1. guest^[5][6][2]
2. stranger^[2]

Old English and Old Saxon also used the word for "enemy",^[3][17] and Gothic for "stranger".^[12]

Derivatives

• *gastihūsą "guest house".^[18]
• Names: *Harjagastiz and *Sigigastiz.^[19][20]
• In Orel: *ʒasti-ʒeƀōn "host" and *sali-ʒastiz, with *saliz "hall".^[21][22]
• Kroonen discusses Old Norse gista (“to stay the night”), from *gestjan-, which seems to imply an e-grade of the root, though it has also been called a Norse formation to Old Norse gestr.^[5]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍃 (gasts, “guest, stranger”)^[16]
• Old Norse: gestr (“guest”)^[23]
• Old English: giest (“guest, stranger, enemy”)^[17]
• Old Frisian: jest (“guest”)^[24]
• Old Saxon: gast (“guest”)^[25]
• Old High German: gast (“stranger, guest, visitor”)^[11]

References

1. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 117
2. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gastiz
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ʒastiz
4. ^ a b c Fulk, R. D. (2018), A Comparative Grammar of the Early Germanic Languages, Studies in Germanic Linguistics 3, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 170
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *gasti-
7. ^ a b Antonsen, Elmer H. (1975), A Concise Grammar of the Older Runic Inscriptions, Sprachstrukturen A 3, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. Einang stone
8. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 156
9. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 124
10. ^ Antonsen, Elmer H. (1975), A Concise Grammar of the Older Runic Inscriptions, Sprachstrukturen A 3, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. Vimose buckle
11. ^ a b Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. gast
12. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gasts
13. ^ Looijenga, Tineke (2003), Texts and Contexts of the Oldest Runic Inscriptions, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 181
14. ^ Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. gasts
15. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. gasts
16. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. gasts
17. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. giest
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gastihūsą
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *Harjagastiz
20. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *Sigigastiz
21. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ʒasti-ʒeƀōn
22. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *sali-ʒastiz
23. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. gestr
24. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. jest
25. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gast