𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍃

Forms

𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍃 (faus), an adjective with a-stem inflection, recorded only in the plural and in oblique cases.^[1][2] The nominative singular is not attested;^[2] Lehmann and Feist enter the word under the plural 𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹 (fawai), and Wright stars the singular.^[3][4][5] The Wulfila project counts 𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹 (fawai, three times), 𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌶𐍉 (fawizo, twice), 𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 (fawamma, twice), 𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌼 (fawaim) and 𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌽𐍃 (fawans).^[2] The comparative is 𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌶𐌰 (fawiza).^[6][7]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *fawaz (“few”),^[8][9] the same adjective as Old Norse fár, Old English fēa, Old Saxon fā and Old High German fō.^[9] Kroonen derives it from a zero-grade Proto-Indo-European *ph₂u-o-, since a full grade would have given a different Germanic form, and relates Ancient Greek παῦρος (paûros, “small, little, few”) and Latin parvus (“small”), with metathesis, and paucus (“few”).^[9] The Old High German plural fōher has been used to reconstruct a Germanic form with h and equate it with the Latin adjective, but Kroonen takes the h as secondary;^[9] Lehmann discusses both the alternation and the derivation from paucus.^[3] Feist adds pauper (“poor”) and leaves open whether the whole family belongs to a root meaning "stop".^[4]

Attestation

The Wulfila project counts nine tokens, in Matthew, Luke, Mark, 2 Corinthians and 1 Timothy, five in manuscript CA and two each in A and B; the first reference is Matthew 7:14.^[2] PROIEL aligns it six times with Ancient Greek ὀλίγος (olígos) and once with ἐλαττονέω (elattonéō).^[10] Matthew 9:37 reads asans raihtis managa iþ waurstwjans fawai, "the harvest is great, but the labourers are few".^[11]

Meanings

1. few, not many (for ὀλίγος)^[1][8][10]
2. in du fawamma: for a little, somewhat (1 Timothy 4:8)^[12][7]
3. in fawizo haban: to have less, to lack (2 Corinthians 8:15, for ἐλαττονέω)^[12][7][10]

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. faus
2. ^ a b c d 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. ^ 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. fawai
4. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. fawai
5. ^ Wright, Joseph (1910), Grammar of the Gothic Language, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ 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. 420
7. ^ a b c Skeat, Walter W. (1868), A Moeso-Gothic Glossary, with an Introduction, an Outline of Moeso-Gothic Grammar, and a List of Anglo-Saxon and Old and Modern English Words Etymologically Connected with Moeso-Gothic, London: Asher, p. 69
8. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍃
9. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 132
10. ^ a b c 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, p. Mt 9:37
12. ^ a b Balg, G. H. (1887–1889), A Comparative Glossary of the Gothic Language, with Especial Reference to English and German, Mayville, Wis.: the author, p. 93