𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽

Gothic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwisan/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to be, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes-. Compare Latin Vesta (“goddess of the hearth”), Sanskrit वसति (vásati, “dwell”). Some forms are suppletive and instead derive from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti.

Verb

𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 • (wisan)

1. to be

Usage notes

• To express the imperative mood, morphologically subjunctive forms of this verb are used instead of morphologically imperative forms (thus sijaiþ is used with imperative meaning instead of wisiþ, for example; occurrences of wisiþ belong to the verb meaning "remain, abide" below instead).

Conjugation

Multiple variant forms are attested:

• 𐍃𐌹𐌰𐌹 (siai), 𐍃𐌹𐌰𐌹𐍃 (siais), 𐍃𐌹𐌰𐌿 (siau), 𐍃𐌹𐌿𐌼 (sium), 𐍃𐌹𐌿𐌳 (siud), 𐍃𐌹𐌿𐌸 (siuþ).
• 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌴𐌹𐍃 (weiseis), 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌿 (weisjau), 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌿𐌽 (weisun).

Derived terms

Related terms

Verb

𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 • (wisan)

1. to remain, abide

Conjugation

(Attested relatively rarely compared to the above sense to be. For a full list of attestations, refer to Köbler.)

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to consume, feast”), from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“to graze”). The usage of the adverb 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰 (waila) to qualify this verb is very common (three out of the four total attestations of wisan); the resulting phrase waila wisan (in various conjugated forms) seemingly represents a calque of Ancient Greek εὐφραίνεσθαι (euphraínesthai), which it translates. However, the same Greek verb may also be translated simply as wisan without the adverb waila (Luke 15:24).

Verb

𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 • (wisan)

1. to feast, make merry

Conjugation

(Attested relatively rarely compared to the above sense to be. For a full list of attestations, refer to Köbler.)

Derived terms

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 175
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 176