§ 38. Germanic w and j ar the vowels u and i uzed as consonants; hense
in Gothic the interchange between =i= and =j=, =u= and =w=, according
to their position which determins their fonetic values as vowels or
consonants. The consonantal i and u, which in other languages ar
denoted by the same signs as the vocalic i and u, hav special signs in
Gothic, =j= and =w=. These sounds ar also calld 'semivowels'.
w
§ 39. The sign of the Gothic alfabet which we represent by =w=, is,
according to its form and alfabetic position, the Gr. υ. For this
it also stands in Greek foren words, for exampl, =Pawlus=, Παῦλος;
=Daweid=, Δαυίδ; =aíwaggêljô=, εὐαγγέλιον; =paraskaíwê=, παρασκευή.
But the Gothic =w= stands not only for the Gr. υ of the combinations
αυ, ευ, in which it had perhaps at that time assumed the value
of a spirant, but also for simpl Greek υ, namely vocalic υ; as,
=Swmaíôn=, Συμεών; =swnagôgê=, συναγωγή; =martwr=, μάρτυρ. But in our
transcriptions of the Gothic texts the Greek vocalic υ is exprest by
=y= instead of =w= (=Symaíôn=, =synagôgê=, =martyr=); so, also, for
practical reasons, in this book.
NOTE 1. A noteworthy Gothic transcription is =kawtsjô= (= Lt.
cautio) in the document at Naples (§ 221, n. 3). Cp. Wrede,
'Ostg.', 166; Zs. fda., 36, 273.
NOTE 2. The Gothic sign is in most of the later editions
represented by =v=. But because of its correspondence in the
other Germanic languages the letter =w= should be uzed (as, Goth.
=wilja=, MHG. NHG. wille, OE. willa, NE. wil). Cp. Beitr., 12, 218
et seq.
§ 40. In Gothic words the =w= originally had the fonetic value of the
consonantal =u= (= E. w). But at Wulfila's time the =u=-sound seems to
hav alredy containd sumwhat of a spirant. Cp. Zs. fda., 36, 266 et seq.
(37, 121 et seq.).
NOTE. Latin writers uzually express the =w= in proper nouns by uu.
=Vvilia=, =Uualamir=; but also often by Ub: =Ubadala= (= =Wadila=),
=Ubadamirus= (= =Wadamêrs=), etc. Greek authors mostly put οὐ for
the Goth. =w= (as in Οὐάνδαλοι), but also β (as in Βάνδαλοι). Cp.
Dietrich, pp. 77-80. Wrede, 'Wand.', 102; 'Ostg.', 167 et seq.
§ 41. Initial Gothic =w= occurs frequently; e. g., =wasjan=, _to
clothe_; =witan=, _to know_; =wiljan=, _to wil_; =waír=, _man_;
=warmjan=, _to warm_.
So also before =l= and =r=; as, =wlits=, _countenance_; =wrikan=, _to
persecute_; =wrôhjan=, _to accuse_.
After the consonants: =t=, =d=, =þ=, =s=; e. g., =twai=, _two_;
=dwals=, _foolish_; =þwahan=, _to wash_; =swistar=, _sister_.
Medial =w= before vowels; e. g., =awistr=, _sheepfold_; =saiwala=,
_soul_; =hneiwan=, _to bow_; =siggwan=, _to sing_; =ûhtwô=, _dawn_;
=taíhswô=, _right hand_; =nidwa=, _rust_.
NOTE. The signs =q= (=kw=) and =ƕ= (=hw=) ar also uzually explaind
as combinations of =w= with =k= and =h=. There ar reasons, however,
to assume that =q= and =ƕ= ar simpl labialized gutturals (§§ 59.
63). But on the other hand =q= and =ƕ= in High German ar treated
precisely like Goth. =tw=, =gw=, etc. (= t, g, etc., medial w being
dropt); for exampl, Goth. =ûhtwô=, =siggwan= = OHG. ûhta, singan;
and Goth. =sigqan=, =saíƕan= = OHG. sinkan, sehan. Altho this
proves nothing as to the values of the +Gothic+ signs, it certainly
shows that in +proethnic Germanic+ the tw, gw, etc., must hav
denoted sounds analogous to those of kw and hw.
§ 42. (1) =w= remains unchanged after +long+ vowels, +difthongs+,
and +consonants+, (a) finally, (b) before the =s= of the nominativ,
(c) before =j=; e. g., (a) =lêw=, n., _opportunity_; =hlaiw=, n.,
_grave_;, =waúrstw=, n., _work_; (b) =snaiws=, _snow_; =triggws=,
_tru, faithful_; (c) =lêwjan=, _to betray_; =hnaiwjan=, _to abase_;
=skadwjan=, _to cast a shade_ (< =skadus=, _shade_); =arwjô=, adv., _in
vain_.
(2) in all three positions, however, =w= becums =u= after a +short+
vowel; e. g., (a) =snau= (prt. to =sniwan=, § 176, n. 2); =triu=,
_tree_ (gen. =triwis=); =*kniu=, _knee_ (gen. =kniwis=, § 94, n. 1);
(b) =naus=, m., _a ded person_ (gen. =nawis=); =*þius=, _servant_ (gen.
=þiwis=, § 91, n. 3); (c) =mawi=, gen. =maujôs=, _girl_; =gawi=, gen.
=gaujis=, _district_; =þiwi=, gen. =þiujôs=, _maid-servant_; =tawida=,
pres. =taujan=, _to do_; =*straujan=, _to strew_, prt. =strawida;
iujan=, _to quicken_, prt. =qiwida=.--Cp. Grundr., I, 414; Zs. fda.,
36, 277.
NOTE 1. Hense a word does not end in =aw=, =iw=; =aws=, =iws=,
except the isolated =lasiws=, _weak_ (II. Cor. X, 10).
NOTE 2. =aw= for =au= occurs before =j= in =usskawjan=, _to awake_;
II. Tim. II, 26 (in B); I. Cor. XV, 34 (=ussk..jiþ= in MS.); and in
the nom. pl. =usskawai= (=unskawai= in MS.), _wakeful_; I. Thess.
V, 8; cp. § 124, n. 3.
NOTE 3. No exampl occurs for the position of medial =w= before
consonants other than =j= and =s=; before =n= after a short vowel
=u= is found in =qiunan= (< =qiwa-=), _to becum alive_; =siuns=
(cp. =saíƕa-=).
j
§ 43. The sign =j= stands, as a rule, for the Greek antevocalic ι,
in =Akaja=, Αχαία; =Marja=, Μαρία; =Judas=, Ἰούδας; =Iskarjôtês=,
Ἰσκαριώτης, etc. But Gr. antevocalic ι is also often represented by
Goth. =i=; as, =Iskariôtês=, =Zakarias=, =Gabriêl=, =Iûdas=.--The sign
=j= in Gothic pronunciation probably has the value of a consonantal
=i=, not that of the spirant j in German.
§ 44. (a) +Initial+ =j= in Gothic words: =juk=, _yoke_; =jêr=, _year_;
=ju=, _alredy_; =jus=, _yu_. (b) +Medial+ =j= occurs after vowels and
after consonants, but always +before+ vowels, never before consonants;
e. g., =midjis=, '_medius_'; =lagjan=, _to lay_; =niujis=, _new_;
=frauja=, _lord_; =þrija=, '_tria_'; =bajôþs=, _both_. (c) =ji= is
contracted into =ei= after a consonant belonging to the same syllabl,
but is retaind when the syllabl begins with =j= (cp. Beitr. 16, 282).
The latter is the case when it is preceded by a short high-toned vowel
with a singl consonant or by a long stem-vowel without a consonant.
Exampls--concerning particularly the masculins (and neuters) of
the =ja=-stems (§§ 92. 127)--ar: =har-jis=, =tô-jis= (_doer_), but
=haír-deis=, dat. =haírd-ja=; --also the I. Weak Conjugation (§ 185):
=sô-kja=, =sô-keis=, =sô-keiþ=; =san-dja=, =san-deiþ=; =miki-lja=,
=miki-leiþ=; but =nas-ja=, =nas-jis=, =nas-jiþ=; =stô-ja=, =stô-jis=,
=stô-jiþ=.
NOTE 1. The rule under (c) may, practically, also be worded in
the following manner: =ji= becums =ei= after a long stem-syllabl
and after secondary syllabls, but remains =ji= after a short
stem-syllabl and immediately after a long stem-vowel.--For
exceptions, s. § 95; § 108, n. 2; § 132, n. 1.
NOTE 2. Only =i= is often employd for medial =ij= before vowels;
s. § 10, n. 4; for =j= occurring sporadically in the inflection of
=saian=, s. § 22, n. 1.
§ 45. =j= is never +final+; in this position it always becums =i=;
e. g., =harjis=, acc. =hari=; =mawi=, gen. =maujôs= (s. § 42, 2, c);
=taui=, _deed_, gen. =tôjis=.
NOTE 1. For the change of =aj= and =ai=, s. § 21, n. 2.