𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌸

Forms

𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌸 (miliþ), a neuter a-stem noun.^[1][2] The only recorded form is the accusative singular 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌸 (miliþ).^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *mili (“honey”),^[3] which Orel and Köbler reconstruct with the final dental that Gothic keeps.^[4][2] It continues Proto-Indo-European *mélit (“honey”), the source of Ancient Greek μέλι (méli), Latin mel, Old Irish mil in Old Irish, Albanian mjaltë in Albanian and Hittite milit in Hittite.^[3][4][5] Lehmann attributes the variant with u found in some languages to the influence of Proto-Indo-European *medʰu- (“honey; mead”).^[5] Elsewhere in Germanic the root appears in derivatives and compounds: Old English milisc (“sweet”) in Old English, Old High German milska (“sweet drink”) in Old High German, Old English mele-dēaw (“honeydew”) and Old Saxon milidou (“mildew”) in Old Saxon.^[5][6][7] Feist notes that the word is missing in Indo-Iranian, which has only the other, general Indo-European word for honey.^[8] Casaretto classes it among the nouns in -þ after a linking vowel that have no Germanic base word.^[9]

Attestation

The word occurs once, at Mark 1:6 in manuscript CA, in the account of what John ate.^[2][10] It translates Ancient Greek μέλι (méli).^[2] Mark 1:6 reads jah matida þramsteins jah miliþ haiþiwisk, "and he ate locusts and wild honey".^[11]

Meanings

1. honey; for μέλι.^[1][2][3]

Usage notes

Schulze observed that where Gothic has miliþ the other Germanic languages use the word continued by German Honig.^[12]

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. miliþ
2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. miliþ
3. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌸
4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 266
5. ^ 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. miliþ
6. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Gotisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. miliþ
7. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 111
8. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. miliþ
9. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter
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
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, p. Mk 1:6
12. ^ Schulze, Ernst (1867), Gothisches Wörterbuch nebst Flexionslehre, Züllichau: Darnmann, p. 127