𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃

Forms

𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃 (laggs), an adjective with a-stem inflection.^[1][2][3] The nominative singular is not recorded; the forms are 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰 (lagga, four times), 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌹 (laggai, once) and 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲 (lagg, once).^[3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *langaz (“long”),^[5][6][7] cognate with Old Norse langr, Old English lang, Old Frisian long, Old Saxon lang and Old High German lang.^[8][6][9] The closest match outside Germanic is Latin longus (“long”).^[6][7][10] Kroonen derives both from a nasalised form Proto-Indo-European *dlonh₁gh-o- of the root of long that also gives 𐍄𐌿𐌻𐌲𐌿𐍃 (tulgus);^[6] Feist and Uhlenbeck likewise posit an initial d on the evidence of Old Persian and compare the non-nasal forms of Ancient Greek δολιχός (dolikhós) and other languages,^[8][11] while Orel calls the correspondences with those adjectives phonetically irregular.^[7]

Attestation

The word occurs six times: in Luke and Mark in manuscript CA, and twice in Romans in manuscript A.^[4][3] The first record in canonical order is Luke 8:27.^[4] It always appears in expressions of time: mela lagga renders ἐκ χρόνων ἱκανῶν, laggai ƕeilai ἐπὶ χρόνον, swa lagga swe ἐφ’ ὅσον and ƕan lagg mel πόσος χρόνος.^[3] Luke 18:4 has jah ni wilda laggai ƕeilai, "and for a long while he would not".^[12]

Meanings

1. long, long-lasting, used only of time in the Gothic Bible^[1][2][13]

Word family

• 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌴𐌹 (laggei, “length”)
• 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌼𐍉𐌳𐌴𐌹 (laggamōdei, “patience, forbearance”)

Related words

• 𐍄𐌿𐌻𐌲𐌿𐍃 (tulgus)

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. laggs
2. ^ a b Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 99
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. laggs
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. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃
6. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 327
7. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 235
8. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. laggs
9. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Gotisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 59
10. ^ 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. laggs
11. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 97
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 18:4
13. ^ Braune, Wilhelm; Heidermanns, Frank (2004), Gotische Grammatik, mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis, 20th ed., Sammlung kurzer Grammatiken germanischer Dialekte A 1, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 286