𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽

Forms

𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hafjan), an irregular strong verb of the sixth class with a j-present.^[1][2] Its principal parts are the preterite singular 𐌷𐍉𐍆 (hof), the preterite plural 𐌷𐍉𐍆𐌿𐌼 (hofum) and the past participle 𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌽𐍃 (hafans).^[2] The simple verb is recorded in one form only, the neuter nominative plural of the past participle 𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌰 (hafanana).^[3][4] Krause and Streitberg group it with the few Gothic strong verbs that keep a j-present beside a preterite without it, comparing Latin capio, cepi.^[5][6]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to lift, heave”),^[7] which Wiktionary traces to Proto-Indo-European *kh₂pyé-, from the root *kap- (“to grasp”).^[7] The cognates are Old Norse hefja, Old English hebban, Old Frisian heva, Old Saxon hebbian and Old High German heffan.^[8][9] Feist, Holthausen and Uhlenbeck compare Latin capiō (“to take, seize”), and Feist adds Ancient Greek κώπη (kṓpē, “handle”), Albanian kap (“to seize”) and Latvian kampt (“to seize”).^[10][11][12] Uhlenbeck takes the basic sense of the root to be "bend, curve", from which "grasp" developed.^[12] Orel relates the verb to the Proto-Germanic verb behind 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (haban, “to have”), and Kroonen counts both among the formations of a European root *kh₂p-.^[9][13]

Attestation

The simple verb occurs once, at Mark 2:3 in manuscript CA, where the Wulfila project's single token is the participle hafanana.^[4][3] PROIEL aligns that token with Ancient Greek ἀείρω (aeírō), and Köbler gives αἴρειν (aírein).^[14][3] At Mark 2:3 the bearers came "jah qemun at imma usliþan bairandans hafanana fram fidworim", "and they came to him bringing a paralysed man, carried by four".^[15]

Meanings

1. to lift, raise, hold up, for αἴρειν^[7][2][3]
2. to bear, carry^[2][16]

Word family

• 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽 (andhafjan, “to answer”)
• 𐌰𐍄𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽 (athafjan, “to take down”)
• 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ufarhafjan, “to exalt oneself”)
• 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌽𐌰𐌽 (ufarhafnan, “to be exalted”)
• 𐌿𐍃𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ushafjan, “to lift up”)

Related words

• 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (haban, “to have”)
• 𐌷𐌰𐍆𐍄𐍃 (hafts, “bound, joined”)

References

1. ^ Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. hafjan
2. ^ a b c d Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 75
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hafjan*
4. ^ a b 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. ^ Krause, Wolfgang (1963), Handbuch des Gotischen, 2nd ed., München: Beck, p. § 213
6. ^ Streitberg, Wilhelm (1920), Gotisches Elementarbuch, 5th–6th ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. § 209
7. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽
8. ^ 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. *hafjan
9. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 149
10. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. hafjan
11. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Gotisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. hafjan
12. ^ a b Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. s.v. hafjan
13. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 197
14. ^ 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
15. ^ 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. Mk 2:3
16. ^ Balg, G. H. (1887–1889), A Comparative Glossary of the Gothic Language, with Especial Reference to English and German, Mayville, Wis.: the author, p. 146