𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃

Forms

𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃 (luftus), a u-stem noun.^[1][2] Its gender cannot be seen from the records: Köbler, Braune–Heidermanns and Regan give it as masculine, Feist with a query, and Uhlenbeck and Lambdin as feminine with a query.^{[1][3][4][5][6]} The recorded forms are the accusative 𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿 (luftu), the genitive 𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿𐍃 (luftaus) and the dative 𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿 (luftau), all singular.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *luftuz (“roof, sky, air”),^[7][8][9] with the cognates Old Norse lopt, also "upper room", Old English lyft, Old Saxon luft and Old High German luft.^[4][10][8] Feist finds no certain comparisons outside Germanic, and Lehmann calls the etymology unclear.^[4][10] Kroonen derives it from Proto-Indo-European *lubʰ-tu-, the root of the Germanic word for "foliage", with "roof" as the first meaning, perhaps a roof made of bark.^[8] Lehmann prefers a root meaning "to cut off, separate", after Torp–Falk and Grienberger, with a shift from bark or ceiling boards to "upper storey" and then "sky, air".^[10] Orel compares Lithuanian lùpti (“to peel”).^[9] Uhlenbeck asked whether it might be connected with a Sanskrit causative "to make grow".^[5]

Attestation

Köbler counts three records: 1 Corinthians 9:26 in manuscript A, Ephesians 2:2 in A and B, and 1 Thessalonians 4:17 in B.^[1] The Wulfila project counts the two manuscripts of Ephesians 2:2 separately, four tokens in all.^[11] It renders Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr).^[1] 1 Corinthians 9:26 reads swa jiuka ni swe luftu bliggwands, "so I fight, not as one beating the air".^[12]

Meanings

1. air^[13][1][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. luftus*
2. ^ Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 104
3. ^ Braune, Wilhelm; Heidermanns, Frank (2004), Gotische Grammatik, mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis, 20th ed., Sammlung kurzer Grammatiken germanischer Dialekte A 1, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 287
4. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. luftus
5. ^ a b Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 104
6. ^ Lambdin, Thomas O. (2006), An Introduction to the Gothic Language, Eugene, Or.: Wipf and Stock, p. 180
7. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃
8. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 342
9. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 249
10. ^ a b c 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. *luftus
11. ^ 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
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. 1Cor 9:26
13. ^ Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. luftus