𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽

Forms

𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (laistjan), a weak verb of the first class, taking an accusative object.^[1][2][3] The commonest recorded forms are the preterite plural 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌿𐌽 (laistidedun, nine times), 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹 (laistei, six times) and the preterite singular 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌳𐌰 (laistida, six times), in the Wulfila project's count.^[4][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *laistijaną (“to track, follow”), formed from *laistaz (“track, footprint”).^[5] Feist, Uhlenbeck and Lehmann derive it from the Gothic noun 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (laists, “track, trace”).^[6][7][8] Its cognates are Old English lǣstan, Old Frisian lāsta, Old Saxon lēstian and Old High German leisten, "to follow, carry out, perform".^[6][7][9] Feist places the noun under Proto-Indo-European *leis- (“to track”).^[10] Köbler compares the root with a question mark.^[3]

Attestation

The Wulfila project counts 50 tokens, Köbler 49 records, in all four Gospels, Romans, 1 Thessalonians and 1 and 2 Timothy.^[4][3] Most are in manuscript CA, a few in A, B and Car.^[4] The first in canonical order is laistidedun at Matthew 8:1.^[4] Of the 48 tokens PROIEL aligns, 38 render Ancient Greek ἀκολουθέω (akolouthéō) and 7 διώκω (diṓkō).^[11] Matthew 8:19 has laisari, laistja þuk þisƕaduh þadei gaggis, "teacher, I will follow you wherever you go".^[12]

Meanings

1. To follow someone (for ἀκολουθέω), with the accusative or with afar and the dative.^[1][13][14]
2. To pursue, seek after something (for διώκω).^[14][3][11]

Word family

• 𐌰𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (afarlaistjan, “to follow”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (galaistjan, “to follow, pursue”)
• 𐌿𐌽𐌱𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌸𐍃 (unbilaistiþs, “unsearchable”)
• 𐌿𐌽𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌸𐍃 (unfairlaistiþs, “unsearchable”)

Borrowings into other languages

• Old Spanish: lastar^[5][9]
• Portuguese: lastar^[5][9]

Related words

• 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (laists, “track, trace”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰 (galaista, “follower”)

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. laistjan
2. ^ Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 100
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. laistjan
4. ^ a b c d 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 c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽
6. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. laistjan
7. ^ a b Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 98
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. laists
9. ^ a b c Čevelová, Dana; Blažek, Václav (2009), Gothic loans in Romance languages, Linguistica Brunensia 57, 143–167
10. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. laists
11. ^ 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
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. Mt 8:19
13. ^ Skeat, Walter W. (1868), A Moeso-Gothic Glossary, with an Introduction, an Outline of Moeso-Gothic Grammar, and a List of Anglo-Saxon and Old and Modern English Words Etymologically Connected with Moeso-Gothic, London: Asher, p. 152
14. ^ a b Lambdin, Thomas O. (2006), An Introduction to the Gothic Language, Eugene, Or.: Wipf and Stock, p. 179