𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌹𐍃

Forms

𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌹𐍃 (harjis), a masculine noun of the ja-stems.^[1][2][3] The recorded form 𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌹𐍃 (harjis) is both the nominative and the genitive singular.^[3][4] Wiktionary explains the nominative ending -jis as levelled from the other cases, since *-jaz after a consonant would otherwise have given -is, as also in 𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌾𐌹𐍃 (niujis, “new”) and 𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌹𐍃 (midjis, “middle”).^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *harjaz (“army”),^[5][6][3] the source also of Old Norse herr, Old English here, Old Frisian here, Old Saxon heri and Old High German hari, heri.^[6][7][4] It continues Proto-Indo-European *kóryos (“war, troops”), a formation to an older noun seen in Lithuanian kãras (“war”) and Old Persian kāra (“army, people”).^[5][8][6] Its closest cognates outside Germanic are Lithuanian kãrias (“army”) and Middle Irish cuire (“host, troop”).^[8][4][9] Kroonen finds the masculine older than the neuter forms, in view of the Irish word, and calls the likeness of Herjann, a name of Odin, to Ancient Greek κοίρανος (koíranos, “ruler, commander”) notable.^[6]

Attestation

The word occurs twice, both in Luke in manuscript CA: in the genitive at Luke 2:13 and in the nominative at Luke 8:30.^[10][3] It renders Ancient Greek στρατιά (stratiá) at Luke 2:13 and λεγιών (legiṓn) at Luke 8:30.^[11] At Luke 8:30 the possessed man, asked ƕa ist namo þein? "what is your name?", answers harjis, "legion".^[12]

Meanings

1. An army, a host (for στρατιά).^[1][13][5]
2. A legion, a great number (for λεγιών).^[13][2][14]

Word family

• 𐌿𐍆𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌹 (Ufitahari)

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. harjis
2. ^ a b Braune, Wilhelm; Heidermanns, Frank (2004), Gotische Grammatik, mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis, 20th ed., Sammlung kurzer Grammatiken germanischer Dialekte A 1, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 281
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. harjis
4. ^ 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. harjis
5. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌹𐍃
6. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 211
7. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. harjis
8. ^ a b Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 74
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
11. ^ 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
12. ^ 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. Lk 8:30
13. ^ a b Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 78
14. ^ Balg, G. H. (1887–1889), A Comparative Glossary of the Gothic Language, with Especial Reference to English and German, Mayville, Wis.: the author, p. 161