Gothic/2/Declension

Gothic Nouns

Gothic nouns have three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. All Gothic nouns change their ending depending on the case and gender. To further simplify Gothic nouns, we can put them into groups that share the same ending. These groups are called noun declensions. Gothic noun declensions are divided into seven distinct groups: a-declensions, o-declensions, i-declensions, u-declensions, r-declensions, and weak declensions. There is also a class of minor declensions.

The a-declension

The Gothic a-declension consists of masculine and neuter nouns. This class corresponds to the Latin and Greek second declension (Latin -us, -um; Greek ος, ον). Furthermore, this class is subdivided into pure a-stems, ja-stems, and wa-stems.

Pure a-stems

Case	dags, dagōs day m.				waúrd, waúrda word n.
	Singular		Plural		Singular		Plural
Nominative	dags	–s	dagōs	–ōs	waúrd	–	waúrda	–a
Accusative (Vocative)	dag	–	dagans	–ans
Genitive	dagis	–is	dagē	–ē	waúrdis	–is	waúrdē	–ē
Dative	daga	–a	dagam	–am	waúrda	–a	waúrdam	–am

Ja-stems

Ja-stems decline the same as pure a-stems, but with a -j preceding. Within the ja-stems, a distinction is made between those with a long syllable and those with a short syllable.

Case	harjis, harjōs army m.				haírdeis, haírdjōs herdsman m.				kuni, kunja race n.
	Singular		Plural		Singular		Plural		Singular		Plural
Nominative	harjis	–jis	harjōs	–jōs	haírdeis	–eis	haírdjōs	–jōs	kuni	-i	kunja	–ja
Accusative (Vocative)	hari	-i	harjans	–jans	haírdi	-i	haírdjans	–jans
Genitive	harjis	–jis	harjē	–jē	haírdeis	–eis	haírdjē	–jē	kunjis	–jis	kunjē	–jē
Dative	harja	–ja	harjam	–jam	haírdja	–ja	haírdjam	–jam	kunja	–ja	kunjam	–jam

Wa-stems

Wa-stems nouns decline just like pure a-stems, but with -w.

Case	þius, þiwōs servant m.				kniu, kniwa knee n.
	Singular		Plural		Singular		Plural
Nominative	þius	–s	þiwōs	–ōs	kniu	–	kniwa	–a
Accusative (Vocative)	þiu	–	þiwans	–ans
Genitive	þiwis	–is	þiwē	–ē	kniwis	–is	kniwē	–ē
Dative	þiwa	–a	þiwam	–am	kniwa	–a	kniwam	–am

O-stems

This declension only contains feminine nouns and corresponds to the Latin and Greek first declension (Latin -a, -am; Greek -η, ην). Just like a-stems, it is subdivided into pure o-stems, jo-stems, and wo-stems.

Pure O-stems

Case	giba, gibōs gift f.
	Singular		Plural
Nominative-Accusative	giba	–a	gibōs	–ōs
Genitive	gibōs	–ōs	gibō	–ō
Dative	gibái	–ái	gibōm	–ōm

Jo-stems

Jo-stems decline just like pure o-stems, but with -j. Short stem jo-stems decline the same as pure o-stems.

Long syllable jo-stem have a different nominative singular ending in -i:

Case	bandi, bandjōs band f.
	Singular		Plural
Nominative	bandi	–i	bandjōs	–jōs
Accusative	bandja	–ja
Genitive	bandjōs	–jōs	bandjō	–jō
Dative	bandjái	–jái	bandjōm	–jōm

Wo-stems

Wo-stems decline just like pure o-stems.

I-Declension

The i-declension contains both masculine and feminine nouns.

Case	gasts, gastis stranger, guest m.				qēns, qēneis wife f.
	Singular		Plural		Singular		Plural
Nominative	gasts	–s	gasteis	–eis	qēns	–s	qēneis	–eis
Accusative (Vocative)	gast	–	gastins	–ins	qēn	–	qēnins	–ins
Genitive	gastis	–is	gastē	–ē	qēnáis	–áis	qēnē	–ē
Dative	gasta	–a	gastim	–im	qēnái	–ái	qēnim	–im

Abstract nouns ending in -eins are declined like feminine i-stem nouns.

Case	láiseins, láiseinōs doctrine f.
	Singular		Plural
Nominative	láiseins	–s	láiseinōs	–ōs
Accusative	láisein	–	láiseinins	–ins
Genitive	láiseináis	–áis	láiseinō	–ō
Dative	láiseinái	–ái	láiseinim	–im

U-Declension

The u-declension contains all genders. Both masculine and feminine nouns decline the same. Only a few neuter u-declension nouns are extant and no plural exist.

Case	sunus, sunjus son m.				faíhu property n.
	Singular		Plural		Singular
Nominative	sunus	–us	sunjus	–jus	faíhu	–u
Accusative (Vocative)	sunu	–u	sununs	–uns
Genitive	sunáus	–áus	suniwē	–iwē	faíháus	–áus
Dative	sunáu	–áu	sunum	–um	faíháu	–áu

Weak Declension

Masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns belong to this declension.

An-Declension

Weak masculine and neuter nouns belong to this declension.

Case	atta, attans father m.				haírtō, haírtōna heart n.
	Singular		Plural		Singular		Plural
Nominative	atta	–a	attans	–ans	haírtō	–ō	haírtōna	–ōna
Accusative	attan	–an	attans	–ans
Genitive	attins	–ins	attanē	–anē	haírtins	–ins	haírtanē	–anē
Dative	attin	–in	attam	–am	haírtin	–in	haírtam	–am

On-Declension

This declension is the feminine counterpart of the an declension.

Case	tuggō, tuggōns tongue f.
	Singular		Plural
Nominative	tuggō	–ō	tuggōns	–ōns
Accusative	tuggōn	–ōn
Genitive	tuggōns	–ōns	tuggōnō	–ōnō
Dative	tuggōn	–ōn	tuggōm	–ōm

Minor Declensions

R-Declension

A few family nouns inherited from Proto-Indo-European have a very archaic declension. Feminines and masculines have identical forms.

Case	swistar, swistrjus sister f.
	Singular		Plural
Nominative	swistar	–ar	swistrjus	–rjus
Accusative			swistruns	–runs
Genitive	swistrs	–rs	swistrē	–rē
Dative	swistr	–r	swistrum	–rum

-Nd Declension

These nouns are old present participles, corresponding to nouns in -nt in Latin and Greek.

Case	frijōnds, frijōnds friend m.
	Singular		Plural
Nominative	frijōnds	–s	frijōnds	–s
Accusative	frijōnd	–
Genitive	frijōndis	–is	frijōndē	–ē
Dative	frijōnd	–	frijōndam	–am

Consonant Declension

These nouns correspond to the consonant declensions in Latin and Greek (in both cases, part of the third declension). Only traces of masculines are extant, but feminines are fairly well attested.

Case	reiks, reiks ruler m.				baúrgs, baúrgs city f.
	Singular		Plural		Singular		Plural
Nominative	reiks	–s	reiks	–s	baúrgs	–s	baúrgs	–s
Acc.	reik	–			baúrg	–
Gen.	reikis	–is, –s	reikē	–ē	baúrgs	–s	baúrgē	–ē
Dative	reik	–	reikam	–am, um	baúrg	–	baúrgim	–im