𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍃

Forms

𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍃 (wars), an a-stem adjective.^[1][2][3] Only the masculine nominative plural 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹 (warai) is recorded.^[1][2][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *waraz (“wary, watchful”),^[5][6][1] like Old Norse varr, Old English wær, Old Saxon war and Old High German giwar.^[6][4] Köbler and Lehmann trace it to the root Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to heed, watch”), and Orel compares Ancient Greek οὖρος (oûros, “watcher, guard”) in Homer.^[1][4][6] Lehmann adds Latin vereor (“to respect, fear”) and explains how the sense "pay attention" narrowed in the daughter languages to seeing in Greek, to smelling in Tocharian, and to fear or caution elsewhere.^[4]

Attestation

Köbler records the word once, at 1 Thessalonians 5:6 in manuscript B; Regan, too, gives only this verse.^[1][2] There warai sijaima "let us be sober" renders Ancient Greek νήφωμεν (nḗphōmen).^[4][1]

Meanings

1. wary, alert, on one's guard; with wisan "to be sober", for Ancient Greek νήφω (nḗphō).^[1][2][7][5]

Related words

• 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 (warei, “cunning”)
• 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰 (wardja, “guard”)

Usage notes

Köbler also sets up a separate adjective *wars "defending", after Holthausen, from Spanish personal names such as Alvar and Ansvar, and refers it to warjan.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wars 1
2. ^ a b c d Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 177
3. ^ Braune, Wilhelm; Heidermanns, Frank (2004), Gotische Grammatik, mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis, 20th ed., Sammlung kurzer Grammatiken germanischer Dialekte A 1, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 302
4. ^ 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. wars
5. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍃
6. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 447
7. ^ Stamm, Friedrich Ludwig; Heyne, Moriz (1920), Ulfilas oder die uns erhaltenen Denkmäler der gotischen Sprache: Text, Wörterbuch und Grammatik, 13th–14th ed. by Ferdinand Wrede, Paderborn: Schöningh, p. 489
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wars 2