𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍄𐍃

Forms

𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍄𐍃 (swarts), an adjective of the a-stem class.^[1][2][3] The only recorded form is the neuter accusative singular 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍄 (swart).^[2][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *swartaz (“black”),^[5][6] with the cognates Old Norse svartr, Old English sweart, Old Frisian swart, Old Saxon swart and Old High German swarz.^[6][7] A zero grade of the same stem is seen in Old Norse sorta (“black colour”) and sortna (“to become dark”).^[4][7] Since J. Schmidt the word has been compared with Latin sordēs (“dirt”) and sordidus (“dirty”), from an adjective "dirty", Lehmann's Proto-Indo-European *swordo-.^[4][6][8] Whether suāsum (“sooty stain”) belongs here, as Niedermann proposed, is uncertain.^[7][4][9]

Attestation

Köbler counts one record, swart at Matthew 5:36 in manuscript CA, where PROIEL aligns it with Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas).^[2][10] The Wulfila project adds an ambiguous second token, swartiza at 2 Corinthians 3:3 in manuscript A, which Köbler reads as the noun 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍄𐌹𐌶𐌻 (swartizl, "ink"), swartizla in manuscript B.^[11][12] Matthew 5:36 reads ni magt ain tagl ƕeit aiþþau swart gataujan, "you cannot make one hair white or black".^[13]

Meanings

1. black, for Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas).^[1][2][14]

Word family

• 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍄𐌹𐌶𐌻 (swartizl, “ink”)

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. swarts
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. swarts* 1
3. ^ Krause, Wolfgang (1963), Handbuch des Gotischen, 2nd ed., München: Beck, p. § 154
4. ^ a b c d 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. swarts
5. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍄𐍃
6. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *swartaz
7. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. swarts
8. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. s.v. swarts
9. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1905), Bemerkungen zum gotischen Wortschatz, Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur 30, 252ff., p. s.v. swarts
10. ^ 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
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. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. swartizl* 1
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. Mt 5:36
14. ^ Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 146