𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽

Forms

𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (skaþjan), an irregular strong verb of class VI, with a j-present.^[1][2][3][4] The simple verb is recorded only in the third person singular preterite 𐍃𐌺𐍉𐌸 (skoþ).^[2][5] Miller's index gives the preterite plural -skoþum, recorded in a compound, and a reconstructed past participle *skaþans.^[6]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *skaþjaną (“to harm, do wrong”).^[7][8][9] The cognates are Old Norse skeðja and Old English sceþþan;^[8][9] Old Frisian skathia and Old High German scadōn belong to the same family.^[10] Kroonen makes it a strong verb to a European root Proto-Indo-European *skeh₁tH-, found also in Ancient Greek ἀσκηθής (askēthḗs, “unhurt, unscathed”) and Old Irish scíth (“weary, tired”).^[8] Uhlenbeck, after Osthoff, compared the same Greek adjective and an Old Irish verb meaning "to maim".^[10][11] Orel derives the verb from the noun *skaþōn (“harm”).^[9]

Attestation

The simple verb occurs once, at Colossians 3:25 in manuscript B, where it renders Ancient Greek ἀδικέω (adikéō, “to do wrong”).^[5][12][2] The verse reads 𐍃𐌰 𐌰𐌿𐌺 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 𐍃𐌺𐍉𐌸 (sa auk skaþaila andnimiþ þatei skoþ), "for the wrongdoer will receive what he did wrong".^[13]

Meanings

1. to harm, do wrong, injure (for ἀδικέω)^[1][2][3][7]

Word family

• 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gaskaþjan, “to harm, wrong”)

Related words

• 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌹𐍃 (skaþis, “harm, wrong”)
• 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌿𐌻𐍃 (skaþuls, “harmful”)

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. skaþjan
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. skaþjan*
3. ^ a b Wright, Joseph (1910), Grammar of the Gothic Language, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. skaþjan
4. ^ Braune, Wilhelm; Heidermanns, Frank (2004), Gotische Grammatik, mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis, 20th ed., Sammlung kurzer Grammatiken germanischer Dialekte A 1, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 294
5. ^ a b 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
6. ^ Miller, D. Gary (2019), The Oxford Gothic Grammar, Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽
8. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 441
9. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *skaþjanan
10. ^ a b Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 132
11. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1888), Grundriss der gotischen Etymologie, Strassburg: Trübner, p. s.v. skaþjan
12. ^ 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
13. ^ 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. Col 3:25