𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌽

Forms

𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌽 (bauan), an irregular verb with a strong present and a weak past, 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌰 (bauaida) at 2 Timothy 1:5.^[1][2] Köbler classes it as irregular and notes that it was originally a reduplicating verb.^[3] The Wulfila project counts the forms 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌹𐌸 (bauiþ, six times), 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌽 (bauan, six), 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰 (baua, twice), bauaima (twice), 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌴𐌹 (bauandei), bauai and bauaida (once each).^[4] Lehmann cites the third person singular bauiþ as showing the strong inflection.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *būaną (“to dwell, reside”).^[6][7] The cognates are Old Norse búa, Old English būan, Old Saxon būan and Old High German būan.^[7][8] Kroonen traces the verb to Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂u-, with an ablauting root present that explains the Germanic variation between forms with ō and ū.^[7] He relates Avestan bauuaiti (“to become”), Ancient Greek φύομαι (phúomai, “to grow, become”), Lithuanian bū́ti (“to be”), Latin fuī and Old Irish biid.^[7] Lehmann bases the word on the productive Proto-Indo-European root for "be".^[5] Uhlenbeck and Lehmann add nouns for a dwelling built on the same root, such as bùtas (“house”) and both (“hut”).^[8][5]

Attestation

The Wulfila project counts 19 tokens and Köbler 14, all in the Pauline Epistles (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy) and in manuscripts A and B.^[4][3] The first in canonical order is Romans 7:17.^[4] PROIEL aligns it with Ancient Greek οἰκέω (oikéō, “to dwell”) six times, ἐνοικέω (enoikéō) five times, κατοικέω (katoikéō) twice and διάγω (diágō) once.^[9] Romans 7:17 reads ak so bauandei in mis frawaurhts, "but the sin that dwells in me".^[10]

Meanings

1. to dwell, live (in a place), for οἰκεῖν, ἐνοικεῖν and κατοικεῖν.^[1][3][11]
2. to inhabit, with an object in the accusative.^[1][11]
3. ald bauan, to lead a life, for βίον διάγειν.^[1][3]

Word family

• 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (bauains, “dwelling”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌽 (gabauan, “to lodge, make a dwelling”)

Usage notes

Uhlenbeck thought 𐌱𐌰𐌲𐌼𐍃 (bagms, “tree”) might belong to the same root.^[8] Kroonen rejects the derivation of that word from the root meaning "to grow".^[12]

References

1. ^ a b c d Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. bauan
2. ^ Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 46
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. báuan
4. ^ a b c De Herdt, Tom (2004–2026), Project Wulfila: digital edition of the Gothic Bible with lemma and morphological annotation, data release 2026-09-03, wulfila.be
5. ^ a b c 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. bauan
6. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌽
7. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 71
8. ^ a b c Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 25
9. ^ Haug, Dag T. T. et al., PROIEL Treebank: The Gothic Bible (gothic-nt), 2023 release, Pragmatic Resources in Old Indo-European Languages, University of Oslo
10. ^ De Herdt, Tom (2004–2026), Project Wulfila: digital edition of the Gothic Bible with lemma and morphological annotation, data release 2026-09-03, wulfila.be, p. Rom 7:17
11. ^ a b Balg, G. H. (1887–1889), A Comparative Glossary of the Gothic Language, with Especial Reference to English and German, Mayville, Wis.: the author, p. 47
12. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 47