CHAP. II. DECLENSION OF ADJECTIVS.
§ 121. In Gothic, as in all other Germanic languages, adjectivs hav two kinds of inflection, the strong and the weak. The strong inflection is the original one corresponding to that of the cognate languages, the weak originated on Germanic soil. Every normal adj. may hav both a strong and a weak inflection. The distinction is a syntactic one: the weak form is employd after the articl (rarely in other positions), the strong form in all other cases, especially when the adj. is uzed predicativly, or attributivly without the articl. Cp. Zs. fda., 18, 17-43.
A. STRONG ADJECTIVS.
§ 122. The strong inflection of adjectivs is in part the same as the vocalic (or strong) inflection of the substantivs with which it was originally identical. In Germanic, however, sum cases of the adj. hav adopted the pronominal inflection, so that the identity between the adjectival inflection and that of the substantivs is now confined to certain cases. The nom. and acc. sg. of the neuter gender hav two forms of the same value, a substantival and a pronominal one (in -ata). The latter, however, is not uzed predicativly.
The Gothic adjectiv, like the substantiv, has three vocalic declensions: (1) Adjectivs of the a-declension which correspond to the substantival a-declension in the m. and n. (§ 89 et seq.) and in the f. of the ô-declension (§ 96 et seq.).—A subdivision is formd by the ja-stems, just as in the case of the corresponding substantivs. (2) Adjectivs of the i-declension which correspond to the substantivs in §§ 99-103. (3) Adjectivs of the u-declension belonging to the substantivs in §§ 104-106.
Classes (2) and (3), however, contain but very few remains in Gothic. The few adjectival ja-stems hav in most of the inflectional cases past over to the 1st class, so that the normal strong declension of the adjectivs in Gothic embraces only the a-declension and its subdivision, the ja-stems.
Note. Subject to strong inflection ar all pronouns (except sama and silba, § 132, n. 3), the cardinal numbers, inasmuch as they inflect adjectivly, and anþar, the second; also the adjectivs of a more general meaning: alls, all; ganôhs, enuf; halbs, half; midjis, 'medius'; fulls, ful.
§ 123. Paradim of the strong adjectival declension: blinds, blind. The pronominal forms differing from the inflection of the corresponding substantivs ar in the following paradim put in Italics:
| Sing. | M. | N. | F. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | blinds | blind, blindata | blinda | |
| G. | blindis | blindaizôs | ||
| D. | blindamma | blindai | ||
| A. | blindana | blind, blindata | blinda | |
| Plur. | ||||
| N. | blindai | blinda | blindôs | |
| G. | blindaizê | blindaizôs | ||
| D. | blindaim | blindaim | ||
| A. | blindans | blinda | blindôs | |
§ 124. Here belong most of the extant adjectivs; e. g., hails, hole, helthy; siuks, sik; juggs, yung; triggws, tru, faithful; swinþs, strong; ubils, evil; aiweins, eternal; haiþiwisks, wild; mahteigs, mighty; ansteigs, gracious; manags, much, many; môdags, angry; handugs, wise.—Also adjectiv pronouns; as, meins, mine, my; þeins, thine, thy; seins, his; jains, yun; the superlativs (§ 137) and pps. pass.; as, numans, taken; nasiþs, saved (cp. § 134).
Note 1. According to § 78, n. 2, the s of the nom. sg. is dropt, (1) after s; e. g., swês, swêsis, own; gaqiss, gaqissis, consenting. (2) after r preceded by a short vowel: anþar, the second, the other; unsar, our; izwar, your; ƕaþar, which of the two. Accordingly, the nom. pl. warai must hav had a nom. sg. war, wary.
Note 2. The rules for the hardening of final soft spirants (79) must be noted; as, frôþs, frôdis, wise; gôþs, gôdis, good (§ 74); liufs, liubis, dear; daufs, daubis, def (§ 56, n. 1).
Note 3. Stems having a w before the case-endings ar subject to the rule for final w (§ 42) in the nom. sg. m. and n. The three words of this kind occur only in other cases. Therefore the noms. pl. fawai, qiwai, usskawai suggest as noms. sg. m. and n. faus, fau, few; qius, qiu, alive; usskaus, usskau, wakeful. According to usskawjan (to awake, § 42, n. 2), also usskaws might be supposed insted of usskaus. For lasiws, s. § 42, n. 1.
Note 4. The pronominal adjectivs in -ar: unsar, izwar, anþar, ƕaþar, hav in the n. sg. only the shorter forms: unsar, izwar, etc.
§ 125. Adjectiv-stems with ja before the endings (ja-stems) hav most of their forms like the paradim blinds. Only in few forms a change is caused by the j. As in the case of nouns, we distinguish between short and long adjectival ja-stems.
Paradim of a short ja-stem: midjis, midl:
| Sing. | M. | N. | F. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | midjis | midi, midjata | midja | |
| G. | midjis | midjaizôs | ||
| D. | midjamma | midjai | ||
| A. | midjana | midi, midjata | midja | |
| Plur. | ||||
| N. | midjai | midja | midjôs | |
| G. | midjaizê | midjaizô | ||
| D. | midjaim | midjaim | ||
| A. | midjans | midja | midjôs | |
§ 126. As regards inflection, the m. midjis is closely related to the substantiv harjis (§§ 90. 92), the n. midi to the substantiv kuni (§§ 93. 95). The fem. midja shows no deviation whatever.
Only a small number of adjectivs belong to this class: aljis, another; sunjis, tru; ga-wiljis, unanimous; unsibjis, criminal; -fraþjis, minded (only in grinda-, sama-fr.); ƕarjis (§ 160); also those whose stems end in a vowel (§ 44, c): niujis, new; -tôjis, doing (as, ubiltôjis, evil-doing).
Note 1. On account of the small number of these adjs. sum forms of the abuv paradim ar not extant. Thus, the short form of the neuter midi is givn in conformity with the long stems (§ 127), and that of niujis would be niwi; only niujata occurs; the n. of -tôjis would be -taúi (§ 26, a).
Note 2. The adj.-stem frija-, free, which occurs in the f. sg. frija, frijaizôs, frijai, frija, and in the m. forms, acc. sg. frijana, nom. pl. frijai, acc. frijans, has a contracted nom. sg. m. freis (for frijis). Also the gen. sg., if extant, would be freis.
Note 3. The nom. sg. f. of niujis is niuja (contrary to þiwi, § 98, n. 1).
§ 127. The long ja-stems inflect in the pl. like midjis. Paradim wilþeis (stem wilþja-), wild, in the sg.:
| Sing. | M. | N. | F. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | wilþeis | wilþi, wilþjata | wilþi | |
| G. | [wilþeis or wilþjis?] | [wilþjaizôs] | ||
| D. | wilþjamma | wilþjai | ||
| A. | wilþjana | wilþi, wilþjata | wilþja | |
§ 128. The infl. of the m. is related to that of the sb. haírdeis (§§ 90. 92), the infl. of the f. to that of bandi (§§ 96. 98; only wôþi occurs; II. Cor. II, 15). None of the few adjs. of this class occurs in the gen. sg.; wilþjis (Rom. XI, 24) probably stands for wilþjins; s. § 132, n. 1.
Further exampls: alþeis, old; faírneis, old; aírzeis, astray; wôþeis, sweet.
§ 129. According to § 122, only remains of the original adjs. of the i- and u-declension ar extant in Gothic, viz.: nom. sg. of all genders, acc. sg. n., and gen. sg. m. and n. All other extant cases hav past over to the inflection of the ja-stems (§§ 125-127). The same rule applies to the weak forms (§ 132, n. 1).
Note. The old form of the gen. sg. [m.] n. is seen in skeiris (Skeir. 45) for the i-decl., in filaus (§ 131, n. 3) for the u-decl.; the latter, of course, is only a partial proof for the adj.
§ 130. The adjectival i-stems ar connected with the substantivs balgs, ansts (§§ 99-103). Exampls: hrains, clean; gamains, common; brûks, uzeful; analaugns, hidn; anasiuns, visibl; andanêms, agreeabl; andasêts, abominabl; sêls, kind (unsêls, wicked); suts, sweet; skeirs, clear; gafáurs, sober (unfáurs, talkativ); aljakuns, of different kind. The paradim hrains inflects thus:
| Sing. | M. | N. | F. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | hrains | hrain [hrainjata] | hrains | |
| G. | [hrainis] | [hrainjaizos] | ||
| D. | hrainjamma | hrainjai | ||
| A. | hrainjana | hrain [hrainjata] | hrainja | |
| Plur. | ||||
| N. | hrainjai | hrainja | hrainjôs | |
| etc. | ||||
Note 1. A gen. sg. f. as wel as a longer n. form (like hrainjata) ar not extant.
Note 2. A word may with certainty be referd to this class, (1) if it occurs in the nom. sg. f. (hrains), (2) if besides the nom. sg. m. and n. also cases with j ar found. But if only the nominativs m. and n. (hrains, hrain) occur, the word may inflect like blinds (123); if only j-cases (as, hrainjamma) ar found, it may decline like wilþeis, midjis (§§ 127. 125).—Other adjectivs, however, ar without sufficient proof, but for other considerations, included in this class; e. g., skauns, beutiful; auþs, desolate, waste; hauns, base; bleiþs, merciful; gadôfs, fit; *mêrs, famous (in wailamêr, nom. sg. n.).—Cp. Kluge, Stammbildg., §§ 178. 197. 229-231; Beitr., 14, 167; 15, 489; Brgm., II, 287.
Note 3. Adjectival i-stems may be inferd from adverbs in -iba (§ 210); e. g., arniba, gatêmiba.
§ 131. The adjectival u-stems ar related to the substantivs sunus (fem. handus), faíhu (§§ 104-106). Exampls: hardus, hard; qaírrus, meek; þaúrsus, dry; tulgus, stedfast; manwus, redy; aggwus, narrow; aglus, difficult; seiþus, late; þlaqus, tender; twalibwintrus, twelv years (lit. winters) old. Paradim hardus:
| Sing. | M. | N. | F. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | hardus | hardu, hardjata | hardus | |
| G. | [hardaus?] | [hardjaizôs] | ||
| D. | [hardjamma] | [hardjai] | ||
| A. | hardjana | hardu, hardjata | hardja | |
| Plur. | ||||
| N. | hardjai | [hardja] | hardjôs | |
| etc. | ||||
Note 1. Whether adjectivs belong to this class is seen from the nom. sg. in which the abuv adduced exampls occur (the only f. forms being þaúrsus and tulgus; Beitr., 15, 570; 16, 318). laushandus, empty-handed; hnasqus, soft; kaúrus, hevy, ar merely inferd from their ja-cases.
Note 2. From the adv. glaggwuba (§ 210) an adj. glaggwus (§ 68) can be inferd.
Note 3. The original adj. *filus, much, is preservd in Goth. in the nom. acc. sg. n. uzed substantivly and adverbially: filu, the gen. filaus being uzed adverbially.
B. WEAK ADJECTIVS.
§ 132. The weak declension of adjectivs is fully identical with the weak or n-declension of nouns (§§ 107-112). But it must be noticed that the f. of the weak adj. inflects like the paradim tuggô (cp. § 112, n. 1).—Exampl of an inflected weak adj. (blinds, § 123):
| Sing. | M. | N. | F. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | blinda | blindô | blindô | |
| G. | blindins | blindôns | ||
| D. | blindin | blindôn | ||
| A. | blindan | blindô | blindôn | |
| Plur. | ||||
| N. | blindans | blindôna | blindôns | |
| G. | blindanê | blindônô | ||
| D. | blindam | blindôm | ||
| A. | blindans | blindôna | blindôns | |
Note 1. Like blinda inflect all weak adjectivs. Of ja-stems: nom. sg. niuja, niujô, niujô (cp. § 126), wilþja (§ 127); —i-stems: hrainja, hrainjô; u-stems: hardja, hardjô (cp. § 129 et seq.).—In the cases with i (gen. dat. sg. m. n.) of the long stems in -ja- (-i-, -u-) the forms with -ji- appear as the regular ones (as in the sb., § 108, n. 2; contrary to § 44, c); cp. wilþji(n)s; Rom. XI, 24; unhrainjin; Mk. IX, 25. Lu. VIII, 29; unsêljin; Mt. V, 39. Jo. XVII, 15. But beside unsêljins; Eph. VI, 16 (in A) unsêleins (in B); beside faírnjin; Mk. II, 21. Lu. V, 36, also faírnin; II. Cor. VIII, 10. IX, 2.
Note 2. Sum adjectivs occur only in the weak forms; as, usgrudja, idle, despondent; alaþarba, poor; usfaírina, blameless; inkilþô, pregnant, and a few more of which sum ar probably to be regarded as substantivs (cp. Zs. fda., 18, 41, note).—The weak form ainaha (no strong form occurs), only, has in Lu. VIII, 42 the nom. sg. f. ainôhô (cp. Beitr., 12, 203) which is certainly incorrect for ainahô.
Note 3. All ordinals except 1st and 2nd (cp. § 146), and the prns. sama and silba (§ 156) follow the weak inflection only.
Note 4. Lastly, the prs. ptcs. (§ 133), comparativs (§ 136), and the superlativs in -ma (§ 139) inflect exclusivly like weak adjs. But all these words hav the f. according to the paradim managei (§ 113, n. 3).
C. DECLENSION OF THE PARTICIPLS.
§ 133. The present participl has lost its strong inflection and declines like a weak adj., but with the f. in -ei (§ 132, n. 4). Only the nom. sg. m. has frequently both the strong and the weak inflection. Paradim gibands, giving:
| Sing. | M. | N. | F. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | gibands | gibandô | gibandei | |
| gibanda | ||||
| G. | gibandins | gibandeins | ||
| D. | gibandin | gibandein | ||
| A. | gibandan | gibandô | gibandein | |
| Plur. | ||||
| N. | gibandans | gibandôna | gibandeins | |
| G. | gibandanê | gibandeinô | ||
| D. | gibandam | gibandeim | ||
| A. | gibandans | gibandôna | gibandeins | |
Note 1. Concerning the shorter inflection of sum participls uzed substantivly, s. § 115.
§ 134. The prt. ptc. pass., like an ordinary adj., follows the strong and weak inflection; e. g., the pp. of the stv. giban:
The pp. of the wv. nasjan:
| Strong: | nasiþs | n. | nasiþ, nasidata | f. | nasida | |
| Weak: | nasida | nasidô | nasidô |
Note. Concerning the interchange between þ and d in the pp. of the weak verbs, s. § 74.
D. COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVS.
1. COMPARATIV.
§ 135. The comparativ degree of adjectivs in Gothic is formd by means of two suffixes, -iz- and -ôz-, to which the terminations of the weak adjectivs ar added.
The formation with the suff. -iz- is more general than the other. It is found in adjs. of all kinds; e. g., managiza (< manags, a-stem), alþiza (< alþeis, §§ 127. 128), hardiza (< hardus, § 131).—But the suffix -ôz- occurs in a-stems only: frôdôza (< frôþs), swinþôza (< swinþs).
Note. The adj. juggs, yung, has the compar. jûhiza (according to § 50, n. 1). Its superlativ is not extant.
§ 136. The comparativs inflect exactly like weak adjectivs, but the f. ends in -ei (§ 132, n. 4):
| Sing. | N. | m. | frôdôza | n. | frôdôzô | f. | frôdôzei |
| G. | frôdôzins | frôdôzeins, | |||||
etc., like the prs. ptc. (§ 133).
2. SUPERLATIV.
§ 137. The superlativ degree, like the comparativ, is formd in two ways, in -ist- or in -ôst-; e. g., managists (< manags), armôsts (< arms, poor). The inflection of the superlativs is precisely the same as that of ordinary adjectivs—strong and weak.
Note. No rule can be givn for the appearance of the ô or the i in the suffix, except that the ô-form occurs only with a-stems. We may suppose that a word which forms the compar. by means of i, has i in the superl. also, and that, in like manner, the ô-forms correspond to each other. This supposition, however, is only founded on a few extant exampls.
3. IRREGULAR COMPARISON.
§ 138. The lack of comparison of sum adjectivs is supplied by comparativs and superlativs with a corresponding meaning, but without a positiv:
| gôþs (d), good | Compar. | batiza | Superl. | batists |
| ubils, evil | " | waírsiza | " | — |
| mikils, great | " | maiza | " | maists |
| leitils, litl | " | minniza | " | minnists |
| sineigs, old | " | — | " | sinista. |
§ 139. A superlativ with an m-suffix is found in six words, which ar derived from adverbial stems and appear without a positiv. The m-suffix is either simpl: fru-ma, innu-ma, aúhu-ma, or compound: af-tuma, if-tuma, hlei-duma.
Two of them hav assumed a comparativ meaning: aúhuma, higher; hleiduma, left (ἀριστερός); the others hav a superlativ or an intensiv signification: aftuma, the last; iftuma, the next; innuma, the inmost; fruma, the first.
These words follow the weak inflection, but hav the f. in -ei, exactly like the comparativs.
Note. Sum superlativs in -ma ar compared anew in the uzual manner: aftumists, the last; aúhumists, oftener than aúhmists (cp. OE. ŷmest, Sievers-Cook, OE. Gr., § 314, n. 3), the highest; frumists, the first.—The forms hindumists, hindmost, spêdumists, last (< *spêþs, beside spêdiza, spêdists), suggest the missing hinduma and spêduma. Also miduma, midst, midumônds, mediator, point to a form *miduma, midl (cp. OE. meodume, midmest).