𐌸𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. Cognate to Crimean Gothic tria and Old Norse þrír, and Koine Greek τρεῖς (treîs), which it translates.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθriːs/

Numeral

𐌸𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 • (þreis)

2. three (cardinal number)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 1.56:

     𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌸 𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌹𐌰𐌼 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹 𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌼𐌴𐌽𐍉𐌸𐍃 𐌸𐍂𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐍃𐌹𐌺 𐌳𐌿 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌰 𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰.

     gastōþ þan mariam miþ izai swē mēnōþs þrins jah gawandida sik du garda seinamma.

     And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. (KJV)

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 8.2:

     𐌹𐌽𐍆𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌳𐌰 𐌳𐌿 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌽, 𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌴 𐌾𐌿 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌸𐍂𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌼𐌹𐍃 𐍅𐌴𐍃𐌿𐌽 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌽𐌹 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐍈𐌰 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰;

     infeinōda du þizai managein, untē ju dagans þrins miþ mis wēsun jah ni haband ƕa matjaina;

     I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: (KJV)

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Second Epistle to the Corinthians (Codex Ambrosianus B) 12.8:

     𐌸𐍂𐌹𐌳𐌾𐍉 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰 𐌰𐍄 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃. 𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌰 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌳𐌳𐌾𐌴 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍄𐍅𐍉𐌳𐌴 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐍂𐌹𐌾𐌴 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌹 𐌰𐌻𐌻 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳𐌴.

     þridjō þata qima at izwis. ana munþa twaddjē weitwōdē jah þrijē gastandai all waurdē.

     This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. (KJV)

Reconstruction notes

The masculine/feminine nominative singular, which serves as entry title, is unattested. It is usually reconstructed as 𐌸𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 (þreis) on the basis of the declension's apparent similarity to that of the i-stem nouns.

Declension

The declension is irregular, but it is most similar to the i-stem nouns.

Derived terms

• 𐌸𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌾𐌿𐍃 (þreis tigjus, “thirty”)
• 𐌸𐍂𐌹𐌾𐌰 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰 (þrija hunda, “three hundred”)

Related terms

• 𐌸𐍂𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰 (þridja, “the third”)

References

Further reading

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “Þ54. *þreis”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, pages 365–366
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 150