𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿𐍃

Forms

𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿𐍃 (tunþus), a masculine u-stem noun.^[1][2] The recorded forms are the accusative singular 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿 (tunþu), the dative singular 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌰𐌿 (tunþau), the genitive plural 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌹𐍅𐌴 (tunþiwe) and the accusative plural 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿𐌽𐍃 (tunþuns), once each.^[2][3] Regan notes that the old alternation of þ and d was levelled to þ in this word and to d in 𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌹 (aiƕatundi).^[4]

Etymology

It continues the Proto-Germanic word for "tooth", inherited from Proto-Germanic *tanþs (“tooth”), in the zero grade, with a secondary change to the u-stems as in 𐍆𐍉𐍄𐌿𐍃 (fōtus, “foot”).^[5][6][7] The other Germanic languages have the o-grade: Old Norse tǫnn, Old English tōþ, Old Frisian tōth, Old Saxon tand and Old High German zan.^[6][8] Kroonen traces both grades to one paradigm of Proto-Indo-European *h₃dont-, an archaic participle of *h₃ed- (“to bite, be sharp”).^[8][5] The same word is Latin dēns, Ancient Greek ὀδούς (odoús), Lithuanian dantis, Old Irish dét and Welsh dant.^[6][7][9] It has long been explained as a participle of Proto-Indo-European *h₁ed- (“to eat”), the root of 𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (itan, “to eat”): Uhlenbeck and Feist report this view, and Lehmann traces it from the ancients through J. Schmidt and Pedersen.^[9][7][6] Feist rejected it in 1888, and Lehmann cites Bartholomae's objection that teeth bite rather than eat, and the alternative link with Ancient Greek δάκνω (dáknō, “to bite”).^[10][6]

Attestation

The Wulfila project counts four tokens, all in CA: two at Matthew 5:38, one at Matthew 8:12 and one at Mark 9:18.^[3][2] PROIEL aligns all four with Ancient Greek ὀδούς (odoús).^[11] Matthew 5:38 reads augo und augin jah tunþu und tunþau, "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth".^[12]

Meanings

1. a tooth^[1][2][5]

Related words

• 𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌹 (aiƕatundi)

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. tunþus
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. tunþus
3. ^ 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
4. ^ Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 154
5. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿𐍃
6. ^ 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. tunþus
7. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. tunþus
8. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 509
9. ^ a b Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 147
10. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1888), Grundriss der gotischen Etymologie, Strassburg: Trübner, p. s.v. tunþus
11. ^ 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. Mt 5:38