𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷

Forms

𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (þairh), a preposition with the accusative, also a verbal prefix.^[1][2][3] All 205 tokens counted by the Wulfila project have the form þairh;^[4] after jah Köbler records 𐌾𐌰𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (jaþþairh) at 2 Corinthians 1:16 and 1:20 in manuscript A.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þerhw (“through”),^[5] Orel's *þerxwe.^[6] The cognates are Old English þurh, Old Frisian thruch, Old Saxon thurh and Old High German duruh, with derh (“perforated”) in Old High German.^[6][7] Wiktionary sets it beside a variant *þurhw, the source of the English word through and of German durch.^[5] Following Thumb, Lehmann and Orel derive it from a Proto-Indo-European adverb for "across" with the particle Proto-Indo-European *-kʷe (“and”), comparing Latin trāns (“across”) and Old Irish tar (“across”);^[7][6] Lehmann keeps it apart from the root meaning "to rub, bore through".^[7] Uhlenbeck, after Hirt, had preferred that root with a k-suffix, comparing Ancient Greek τιτράω (titráō, “to bore through”).^[8]

Attestation

The Wulfila project counts 205 tokens, in the Gospels, the Epistles, the Skeireins and four in the Naples deed, in manuscripts CA, A, B, Car, E, Speyer, Lat5750 and Naples.^[4] Köbler counts 160 records.^[2] In PROIEL it renders Ancient Greek διά (diá) 134 times out of 143.^[9] The first record is Matthew 7:13, which reads inngaggaiþ þairh aggwu daur, "go in through the narrow gate".^[10]

Meanings

1. through (of space); for διά.^[3][1][9]
2. By means of, through, by the agency of.^[3][7]
3. As a prefix: through, throughout; where the Greek has διά with a span of time, Gothic makes þairh a prefix of the verb, as in alla naht þairharbaidjandans "labouring all night through" at Luke 5:5.^[3]

Word family

• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þairharbaidjan, “to keep on working”)
• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽 (þairhbairan, “to carry through”)
• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽 (þairhgaggan, “to go through”)
• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍉𐌽 (þairhgaleikōn, “to transfer”)
• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽 (þairhleiþan, “to go through”)
• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐌽 (þairhsaiƕan, “to see through”)
• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐍅𐌰𐌺𐌰𐌽 (þairhwakan, “to keep watch through the night”)
• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 (þairhwisan, “to persevere”)

Related words

• 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐍉 (þairkō, “eye of a needle”)

Usage notes

The prefix can be separated from its verb: Regan reads saiƕan ... þairh at 1 Corinthians 13:12 as þairhsaiƕan.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. þairh
2. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þaírh
3. ^ a b c d e Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 156
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. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷
6. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 421
7. ^ a b c d 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. þairh
8. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 149
9. ^ a b 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. Mt 7:13