𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌾𐌿𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fedwōr tigiwiz and cognate to Old Norse fjórir tigir. Contrast Crimean Gothic furdeithien.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfid.woːr ˈtiɡ.jus/,

Noun

𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌾𐌿𐍃 • (fidwōr tigjus) m pl

2. forty (cardinal number)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 4.2:

     𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌴 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌿𐌽𐍃, 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐌳𐌹𐌰𐌱𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌿. 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌽𐌹 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄 𐌹𐌽 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌼 𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌼, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐍄 𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌼 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐌼 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌼, 𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌴 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌸.

     dagē fidwōr tiguns, fraisans fram diabulau. jah ni matida waiht in dagam jainaim, jah at ustauhanaim þaim dagam, biþē grēdags warþ.

     Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. (KJV)

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 1.13:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹 𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌹 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌴 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐍃𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌹𐌽, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐍃 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌳𐌹𐌿𐌶𐌰𐌼, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌹𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌱𐌰𐌷𐍄𐌹𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌿𐌽 𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰.

     jah was in þizai auþidai dagē fidwōr tiguns fraisans fram satanin, jah was miþ diuzam, jah aggileis andbahtidēdun imma.

     And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. (KJV)

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Second Epistle to the Corinthians (Codex Ambrosianus B) 11.24:

     𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌿𐌼 𐍆𐌹𐌼𐍆 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌰𐌼 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌽𐌰𐌼;

     fram iudaium fimf sinþam fidwōr tiguns ainamma wanans nam;

     Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. (KJV)

Usage notes

This number is a noun phrase with the literal meaning of “four decades”; as such, the entities being counted are in the genitive case.

Related terms

• 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 (fidwōr, “four”)
• 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌿𐍃 (tigus, “decade”)

References

Further reading

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “F46. *fidwor-tigjus”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 114
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 34