𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉

Forms

𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 (watō), a neuter noun with an irregular n-stem inflection.^[1][2] The recorded forms are the accusative singular 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 (watō, five times), the genitive singular 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌽𐍃 (watins, six times), the dative singular 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌽 (watin, five times) and the dative plural 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐌽𐌰𐌼 (watnam, twice).^[2] The dative plural is formed without the n-stem vowel, as in 𐌽𐌰𐌼𐌽𐌰𐌼 (namnam) from 𐌽𐌰𐌼𐍉 (namō, “name”).^[3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *watōr (“water”),^[3][5] which continues a Proto-Indo-European noun with r in the nominative and accusative and n in the other cases.^[6][7] Kroonen traces the Germanic paradigm to an o-grade Proto-Indo-European *uód-ōr.^[5] Gothic built the whole paradigm on the n-stem, as Old Norse vatn did in Old Norse, while the West Germanic languages generalised the r-stem: Old English wæter, Old Frisian weter, Old Saxon watar and Old High German wazzar.^[4][5][3] Outside Germanic, Orel relates Hittite u̯adar, Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”), Albanian ujë, Lithuanian vanduõ and, probably, Proto-Slavic *voda.^[7] Feist and Lehmann connect Latin unda (“wave”), with a nasal infix.^[8][6]

Attestation

The word occurs eighteen times, in Matthew, John, Luke and Mark, in Ephesians and 1 Timothy, and in the Skeireins.^[2] Most of the records are in manuscript CA, Ephesians 5:26 is in manuscript A, 1 Timothy 5:23 in A and B, and the Skeireins passages in E.^[2] In canonical order the first is the dative plural watnam at Matthew 8:32.^[2] Köbler gives Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr) as the Greek word it renders and Latin aqua as the Latin equivalent.^[2]

Meanings

1. water^[1][2][3]

Related words

• 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐍄𐍂𐌿𐍃 (wintrus, “winter”)

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. wato
2. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. watō*
3. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉
4. ^ a b Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter
5. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 575
6. ^ a b 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. wato
7. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *watnan
8. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. wato