𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍀

Forms

𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍀 (þaurp), a neuter noun of the a-stem declension.^[1][2][3] The only recorded form is the accusative singular 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍀 (þaurp).^[2][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þurpą (“village, rural settlement”),^[5][2] a noun with no Germanic base word according to Casaretto.^[3] The cognates are Old Norse þorp (“farm, estate”), Old English þorp, Old Frisian thorp, Old Saxon thorp and Old High German dorf (“village, estate”).^[6][7][8] Lehmann calls the etymology disputed.^[6] He thinks it unlikely that the word first meant 'a cleared place in the forest', after a Slavic verb for 'to clean, clear', and prefers Proto-Indo-European *treb- (“building, dwelling”), a word found only in Italic, Celtic, Germanic and Baltic, with Latin trabs (“beam”), Old Irish treb (“dwelling, tribe”) and Lithuanian trobà (“house, building”).^[6] Holthausen gives the same comparisons.^[9] Kroonen likewise treats it as a word limited to the European languages.^[8] Uhlenbeck called the word obscure and considered an original meaning 'crowd', comparing a Norse verb for 'to crowd' (Old Norse þyrpast) and Latin turba (“crowd”);^[10] Lehmann rejects turba, which he refers to a root 'to turn, whirl'.^[6]

Attestation

The word is a hapax: one token, at Nehemiah 5:16 in manuscript D.^[4][2] Köbler and Braune–Heidermanns give the Greek as Ancient Greek ἀγρός (agrós).^[2][11] Nehemiah 5:16 reads jah waurstw þizos baurgswaddjaus inswinþida jah þaurp ni gastaistald, "and I strengthened the work on the wall and acquired no land".^[12]

Meanings

1. Cultivated land, a field, farmland, for ἀγρός.^[1][2][11]

Usage notes

Lehmann cites W. Schulze and Scardigli on Gothic þaurp as inhabited land, as against uninhabited 𐌰𐌺𐍂𐍃 (akrs).^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. þaurp
2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þaúrp* 1
3. ^ a b Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter
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. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍀
6. ^ a b c d e 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. þaurp
7. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þurpan
8. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 553
9. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Gotisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 111
10. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 149
11. ^ 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. 298
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. Neh 5:16