𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍉

Forms

𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍉 (stairnō), a feminine noun of the weak (n-stem) declension.^[1][2][3] The only recorded form is the nominative plural 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍉𐌽𐍃 (stairnōns).^[2][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”),^[5][6] from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr.^[5] It is formed like Old Norse stjarna, Middle Low German sterne and Old High German sterno, with an n-suffix, while Old English steorra, Old Frisian stera, Old Saxon sterro and sterro have one in r.^[7][8][6] Feist sees the influence of 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌽𐍉 (sunnō, “sun”) in the n-stem, and Lehmann suggests it with a query.^[7][8] Kroonen explains both types from one Germanic n-stem paradigm in which the n was assimilated in some cases, as in the Old Saxon form, and Gothic and Norse reintroduced the n in a secondary variant *sternōn-.^[9] The Indo-European cognates include Ancient Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr), Latin stella, Welsh seren and Hittite ḫašter-.^[8][10][6] The earlier source is disputed: Lehmann lists a root 'to burn, glow', a root 'to spread out', and a loan from the Akkadian name of Ishtar, which has met strong opposition.^[8][9]

Attestation

The word is a hapax: one token, the nominative plural stairnons at Mark 13:25 in manuscript CA, in the Wulfila project's and PROIEL's counts.^[4][11] It renders Ancient Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr).^[11][2] Mark 13:25 reads jah stairnons himinis wairþand driusandeins, "and the stars of heaven will be falling".^[12]

Meanings

1. A star, for ἀστήρ.^[1][2][11]

Usage notes

Feist cites a Crimean Gothic stern 'stella' beside it;^[7] Lehmann notes that the Crimean Gothic word was misprinted as stein, and Wiktionary gives stein as possibly a misprint for *stern.^[8][5]

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. stairno
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. staírnō* 2
3. ^ Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 142
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍉
6. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *sternōn
7. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. stairno
8. ^ a b c d e 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. stairno
9. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 478
10. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 139
11. ^ a b c 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. Mk 13:25