*gōdaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *gōdaz in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *ʒōđaz in Orel^[3] and *ʒōðaz in Fulk;^[4] Kroonen, Köbler and Heidermanns cite the stem *gōda-.^[5][6][7]

Etymology

Wiktionary calls it a vṛddhi gerundive of an unattested strong verb *gadaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- (“to unite, to suit”).^[2] Kroonen derives the o-grade adjective from the lost strong verb *gadan- "to fit",^[5] and Bammesberger from the root *ghodh- of Old High German gigat (“suitable”).^[8]

Morphology

An adjective of the a-stems.^[5][6] Its weak form had the masculine *gōdō- with the oblique stem *gōdan- ~ *gōdin-.^[1] The comparison was suppletive, comparative *batizō-, superlative *batistaz;^[9] the adverb, too, is formed from another stem, as in Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰 (waila) and Old Norse vel.^[4] Heidermanns sets the zero-grade root *gad- beside it, in *gada- "community" and *gadō- "to join, to unite".^[7]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌲𐍉𐌸𐍃 (gōþs) in Gothic, Old Norse góðr in Old Norse, and Old English gōd, Old Frisian gōd, Old Saxon gōd and Old High German guot in West Germanic.^[5] The Gothic word occurs 89 times in the Bible.^[10] In the runic inscription Proto-Norse ᚨᛚᚢᚷᛟᛞ (alugod) of the Værløse clasp, which he dates to about 200 AD with a query, Antonsen reads the second part as the masculine nominative singular of the adjective;^[11] Krause took it as a vocative.^[4] De Vries also points to the Norwegian runic form Proto-Norse ᚷᛟᛞᚨᚷᚨᛊ (godagas),^[12] on the Valsfjord cliff, which Antonsen dates to 400 AD.^[13]

Competing analyses

Ringe lists *gōdaz among the Proto-Germanic words of doubtful or unknown origin.^[14] Orel relates Lithuanian guõdas (“honour”) and Proto-Slavic *goditi (“to please, to fit”).^[3] Heidermanns finds the Old Church Slavonic word for "fitting time" closest, the Lithuanian word semantically further off, and the connection with Ancient Greek ἀγαθός (agathós, “good”) quite uncertain; he thinks it may be an old verbal adjective with the basic sense "fitting together, joined".^[7]

Meanings

1. good, suitable^[5][6][2]

Heidermanns divides the common Germanic sense "good" into "fitting, useful", "able, brave" and "kind, friendly".^[7] Old Norse góðr also meant "friendly".^[5]

Derivatives

• *gōdalīkaz "good, goodly",^[15] Orel's *ʒōđa-līkaz.^[3]
• *gōdį̄ "goodness",^[16] Orel's *ʒōđīn, in Gothic 𐌲𐍉𐌳𐌴𐌹 (gōdei, “virtue”).^[3]
• *gōdijaną "to make good, to improve",^[17] Orel's *ʒōđjanan.^[3]
• The neuter noun *gōda- "goods, belongings".^[6]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌲𐍉𐌸𐍃 (gōþs, “good, kind, beautiful”)^[10]
• Old Norse: góðr (“good”)^[12]
• Old English: gōd (“good, able, considerable”)^[18]
• Old Frisian: gōd (“good, upright, reliable, valuable”)^[19]
• Old Saxon: gōd (“good, friendly, glorious”)^[20]
• Old High German: guot (“good”), in Kroonen's list^[5]

References

1. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 315
2. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gōdaz
3. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 138
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 Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 184
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *gōda-
7. ^ a b c d Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. 251
8. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 241
9. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 317
10. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gōþs
11. ^ Antonsen, Elmer H. (1975), A Concise Grammar of the Older Runic Inscriptions, Sprachstrukturen A 3, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 75
12. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 181
13. ^ Antonsen, Elmer H. (1975), A Concise Grammar of the Older Runic Inscriptions, Sprachstrukturen A 3, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. s.v. godagas
14. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 328
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gōdalīkaz
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gōdį̄
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gōdijaną
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gōd
19. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. gōd
20. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gōd