(a) On declension in general.
§ 83. The Gothic declension, like that of the remaining Old-Germanic
dialects, comprises three genders: the +masculin+, +neuter+ and
+feminin+.
NOTE 1. The neuter of all declensions resembls in form very closely
the masculin; a distinction occurs in the nom. and acc. sg. and pl.
only.
NOTE 2. A distinction of gender is wanting only with the personal
prn. of the 1st and 2nd persons, with the reflexiv prn. (§ 150),
and with the numeral adjectivs 4-19 (§ 141).
§ 84. The Goth. declension has +two+ numbers: +singular+ and +plural+.
NOTE. The +dual+ which originally existed in all Indg. languages,
is preservd in the Goth. decl. in the 1st and 2nd pers. of the
personal prn. only (§ 150).
§ 85. The Goth. declension has four complete cases: +nominativ+,
+genitiv+, +dativ+, +accusativ+. The +vocativ+ is mostly identical
with the nominativ, only in the singular of sum classes of declension
the vocativ is different from the nominativ, but then it is always
identical with the accusativ.
NOTE. The Goth. dativ represents several Indg. cases (dativ,
locativ, ablativ, instrumental). Relics of the neuter instrumental
ar stil present in the pronominal declension: =þê= (§ 153), =ƕê= (§
159).
(b) On the declension of substantivs.
§ 86. The declension of substantivs in Gothic is divided into a vocalic
and a consonantal declension, according as the stems of the substantivs
end in a vowel or a consonant.
NOTE. The original form of the stem is in part unrecognizabl in the
Gothic language, because the stem has blended with the endings,
final vowels hav been lost, and the like, so that the division
into a vocalic and a consonantal declension appears correct only
in the light of the Comparativ Indo-Germanic Grammar, and but with
reference to this it must be retaind. Such a division would never
hav been made from an especially Gothic-Germanic standpoint.
§ 87. Of the +consonantal+ stems in Gothic the =n=-stems (i. e. the
stems in =-an=, =-ôn=, =-ein=), ar very numerous, while of other
consonantal declensions but a few remains ar preservd (§ 114 et seq.).
Sinse the time of Jac. Grimm the =n=-declension has also been calld
+Weak Declension+.
§ 88. There ar four classes of the +vocalic+ declension: stems in =a=,
=ô=, =i=, =u=. Accordingly, we distinguish them as =a-=, =ô-=, =i-=,
and =u=-declensions. The stem-characteristics ar stil clearly seen in
all classes in the dat. and acc. pl.; e. g., =dagam=, =dagans=; --
=gibôm=, =gibôs=; -- =gastim=, =gastins=; -- =sunum=, =sununs=. Sinse
the time of Jacob Grimm the vocalic declension has also been calld
+Strong Declension+.
NOTE 1. Of the four vocalic declensions the =a-= and
=ô-=declensions ar closely connected, the =a=-declension containing
only masculins and neuters (=dags=, =waúrd=), the =ô=-declension
the corresponding feminins. Both classes ar therefore uzually givn
as one, the =a=-declension.
NOTE 2. The Gothic =a=-declension corresponds to the second or
o-declension in Greek and Latin (Gr. m. -ος, n. -ον; Lt. -us, -um),
the Goth. =ô=-declension corresponds to the first or ā-declension
in Gr. and Lt. Now sinse Comparativ Grammar teaches us that the
Græco-Lt. vowels ar the more original ones, and that onse also the
Germanic stems of the corresponding masculine and neuters must
hav ended in o and those of the feminins in â, we often meet in
Germanic Grammar with the term o-declension for the masculins and
neuters, and with the term â-declension for the feminins.
(c) On the nominal composition.
§ 88ᵃ. Substantivs (and adjectivs) as the first parts of compounds
end as a rule in a vowel, the connecting vowel of the components
(or composition-vowel), which in the case of the vocalic stems
is oftenest identical with the stem-vowel. Exampls: =a=-decl.:
=figgra-gulþ=, =hunsla-staþs=, =himina-kunds=, =fulla-tôjis=;
--=i=-decl.: =gasti-gôþs=, =naudi-bandi=; --=u=-decl.: =fôtu-baúrd=,
=hardu-haírtei=, =filu-waúrdei=.
But the connecting vowel of the =o=-stems is always =-a=; as,
=aírþa-kunds=, =hleiþra-stakeins=; the =-ja= of =ja=-stems persists
when the stem is a short syllabl, but it becums =i= when the stem
is long (cp. § 44); as, =wadja-bôkôs=, =alja-kuns=; =arbi-numja=,
=aglaiti-waúrdei=; in like manner =þûsundi-faþs=, < stem in =-jô-=,
nom. =þûsundi= (§ 145).
The =n=-stems hav simpl =a= insted of the thematic ending =-an=,
=-ôn=; as, =guma-kunds=, =fruma-baúr=, =wilja-halþei=, =qina-kunds=,
=auga-daúrô=; but =mari-saiws= (cp. Beitr., 8, 410).
NOTE 1. The composition-vowel was often dropt in Gothic, especially
that of the =a=-stems; e. g., of =a=-stems: =wein-drugkja= (but
=weina-triu=, =weina-basi=, etc.), =gud-hûs=, =guþ-blôstreis=
(but =guda-faúrhts=, =guda-laus=, =guþa-skaunei=), =laus-qiþrs=,
=laus-handus= (but =lausa-waúrds=), =þiudan-gardi=, =háuh-þûhts=,
=ain-falþs=, =þiu-magus= (for =þiwa-=, § 91, n. 3); --of
=ja=-stems: =niuklahs= (but =niuja-satiþs=), =frei-hals=,
=aglait-gastalds= (but =aglaiti-waúrdei=); --of =i=-stems:
=brûþ-faþs=, =þut-haúrn= (Beitr., 8, 411), =twalib-wintrus= (§ 141).
NOTE 2. Sum words show evasions of the composition-vowel:
=þiuþi-qiss= (for =þiuþa-=); I. Cor. X, 16 (in Cod. A); =anda-laus=
(for =andja-=); I. Tim. I, 4 (in A, but =andi-laus= in B);
=hrainja-haírts= (for =hraini-=); Mt. V, 8; =garda-= in cpds.
seems to be the normal form beside the stem =gardi-= (s. § 101):
=garda-waldands=; Mt. X, 25. Lu. XIV, 21; =miþgarda-waddjus=; Eph.
II, 14 (in B, but =midgardi-w.= in A); Beitr., 8, 432. Cp. also
=brôþra-lubô=; Rom. XII, 10 (in A, but =brôþru-lubô=; I. Thess.
IV, 9, in B).--The evasions occur mostly in Codex A and seem to
be yunger East-Gothic forms; cp. the names in the Documents (e.
g., =Gudi-lub=, in Ar. Doc.; =Sunjai-friþas=, in Neap. Doc.), and
Wrede, 'Ostg.', 184.
NOTE 3. Beside the other consonantal stems there occur:
=brôþru-lubô= (§ 114); cp. the preceding note; =baúrgs-waddjus=,
a genitiv-composition (§ 116); =nahta-mats= (§ 116); beside
=mann-= (§ 117) the stem =mana-= is found: =mana-sêþs=,
=mana-maúrþrja=, =unmana-riggws=; and (probably according to note
1) =man-leika=.--=sigis-laun= and =þruts-fill=, which belong to old
=s=-stems (s. § 94, n. 5.--Leo Meyer, Got. Spr., p. 174), may (by
loss of =a=, according to note 1) also refer to =a=-stems.
NOTE 4. For more about the cpds. in Gothic, s. Beitr., 8, 371-460;
Brgm., II, 73 et seq.; Wrede, 'Ostg.', 183 et seq.