𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰

Forms

𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰 (wiþra), a preposition governing the accusative.^[1][2] It is also used as a verbal prefix.^[3][4] The only recorded form is 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰 (wiþra).^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *wiþrą (“toward, against”).^[5][6] Wiktionary takes the Gothic form from the compound form of the Proto-Germanic word, which seems to have replaced the preposition's own form by analogy.^[5] Its cognates are Old Norse viðr, Old English wiþer, Old Frisian wither, Old Saxon withar and Old High German widar.^[6][7][8] Kroonen explains it as a formation from the PIE root *h₁ui- (“apart”) with the contrastive suffix *-tero-, built like a Sanskrit adverb meaning "further".^[6] Lehmann and Orel give the same analysis: a comparative in *-tero- to the root meaning "apart, in two".^[9][7] Köbler sets up *u̯itero- (“further, against, again”), from *u̯ī̆- (“apart, in two”).^[10]

Attestation

The Wulfila project counts 60 tokens, in Matthew, Luke and Mark, in 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and twice in the Skeireins.^[2] Köbler counts 46.^[10] The records are spread over the manuscripts CA (18), A (19), B (21), E (1) and Lat5750 (1).^[2] In canonical order the first is Matthew 8:34.^[2][10] In the 42 tokens PROIEL aligns it renders Ancient Greek πρός (prós) (21 times), κατά (katá) (10), εἰς (eis) (2) and ἐπί (epí) (2).^[11] Köbler also lists παρά (pará) and the phrase εἰς συνάντησιν (eis sunántēsin).^[10] Matthew 8:34 reads jah sai alla so baurgs usiddja wiþra Iesu, "and see, the whole town went out to meet Jesus".^[12]

Meanings

1. In space: opposite, facing, before.^[1][13]
2. In a figurative sense, friendly or hostile: toward, to; against, in opposition to.^[1][13]
3. In reply to, in return for, on account of.^[14]

Word family

• 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽 (wiþragaggan, “to go to meet”)
• 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌼𐍉𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wiþragamōtjan, “to meet”)
• 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (wiþrawairþs, “opposite”)

References

1. ^ a b c Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. wiþra
2. ^ a b c d e 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
3. ^ Braune, Wilhelm; Heidermanns, Frank (2004), Gotische Grammatik, mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis, 20th ed., Sammlung kurzer Grammatiken germanischer Dialekte A 1, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. 303
4. ^ Krause, Wolfgang (1963), Handbuch des Gotischen, 2nd ed., München: Beck, p. § 200
5. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰
6. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 590
7. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 464
8. ^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1900), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Müller, p. 173
9. ^ 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. wiþra
10. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wiþra
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 8:34
13. ^ a b Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 184
14. ^ Wright, Joseph (1910), Grammar of the Gothic Language, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. wiþra