𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰

Forms

𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰 (nēƕa), an adverb, also used as a preposition with the dative.^[1][2][3] It does not inflect; the comparative is 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌹𐍃 (nēƕis, "nearer"), recorded once.^[4][5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *nēhwaz (“near”),^[6][2] the source also of Old English nēah, Old Frisian nei, Old Saxon nāh and Old High German nāh.^[7][8] Kroonen takes the adjective as a lengthened-grade formation from Proto-Indo-European *h₂nek- (“to reach”).^[7] Uhlenbeck, following Zupitza, compares Lithuanian nókti (“to catch up with”) and Latvian nākt (“to come”).^[8] Köbler sees only uncertain comparisons: he lists the root for "to reach", and, with question marks, the negative particle.^[2]

Attestation

The Wulfila project counts 27 tokens, in John, Luke, Mark, Romans, Ephesians, Philippians and the Skeireins, in manuscripts CA, A, B and Lat5750.^[4] Köbler gives 23 records.^[2] The first record in canonical order is John 6:4 in CA.^[4] In the Gospels and Epistles PROIEL aligns the preposition with Ancient Greek ἐγγίζω (engízō) five times, with ἐγγύς (engús) five times and with παρά (pará) once, and the adverb with ἐγγύς seven times.^[9] John 6:4 reads wasuh þan neƕa pasxa ("now the Passover was near").^[10]

Meanings

1. near, close by, for ἐγγύς.^[1][3][9]
2. With the dative, near to, close to.^[3][11]
3. In nēƕa wisan, to be near, to approach, for ἐγγίζειν; in nēƕa qiman, to come near, for προσεγγίζειν.^[2]

Related words

• 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ, “near”)
• 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌹𐍃 (nēƕis, “nearer”)
• 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌾𐌰𐌽 (nēƕjan, “to approach”)
• 𐌰𐍄𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌾𐌰𐌽 (atnēƕjan, “to draw near”)
• 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰 (nēƕundja, “neighbour”)

Usage notes

Köbler records a separate adverb 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ), found once.^[12] Uhlenbeck treats the two as forms of one word.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. neƕa
2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nēƕa
3. ^ a b c Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 115
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. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nēƕis
6. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰
7. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 387
8. ^ a b c Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 115
9. ^ 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
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, p. Jn 6:4
11. ^ Wright, Joseph (1910), Grammar of the Gothic Language, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. nēƕa
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nēƕ