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     When writing more complex numbers, all we need to do is add symbols onto each other:

      556 = 500–50–6 = · 𐍆𐌽𐌵·

     When abbreviations are made in a Gothic text, especially of holy names, a line above it will be displayed, just like when the symbols are used for numbers.

     The letter 𐍇 occurs only in a few select Greek words borrowed into Gothic, and is pronounced as [k].

     The Greek [y] sound, <υ>, is rendered through the letter 𐍅 in Gothic, and was probably pronounced as [ɪ].

     In our transcription to the Latin alphabet from Gothic symbols, we’ll borrow the letter <þ> from the Old Norse and Old English alphabets, which is pronounced as the <th> in “thistle”, not the one as in “that”.

     Based on the convention of the books “Grammar Of The Gothic Language” by Joseph Wright and “A Gothic grammar with selections for reading and a glossary” by Wilhelm Braune and Gerhard Hubert Balg, we’ll use:

• <w> for [w] (though others may write it as <v>)
• <q> for [kʷ] (though other may write it as <kv> or <qu>)
• <ƕ> for [ʍ] (though others may write it as <hv>, <hw> or <w>)
• <þ> for [θ] (though others may write it as <th>)

     Orthography Exercises:

     Now that we’ve gotten the basics out of the way, let’s do some exercises with the alphabet! Decipher the following Gothic words and numbers using your notes:

1. 𐌰𐌱𐌰 (Man)
2. 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽 (To Stand)
3. 𐌹𐌱𐌿𐌺𐍃 (Backward)
4. 𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌱𐌰 (Evily)
5. · 𐍃𐌺𐌲·
6. 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌹 (Beginning)
7. 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌰 (Companion)
8. 𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌳𐍉𐌽 (To Thank)
9. 𐌼𐌰𐌸𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌽 (Speech)
10. · 𐍆𐌽𐌱·

     Here on out, due to convenience, we’ll be using a transliteration of Gothic symbols to the Latin alphabet (the one used for English). However, it’s still important to know the Gothic alphabet for your own research!

      Notable missing letters when reading Gothic transcribed in such a manner include <c> and <v> (while the letter <y> is only used used for Greek loanwords into Gothic).

     Phonology:

     Now we’re going to go over the phonology, also known as the inventory of sounds, of this language.

     Let’s start with the vowels…

     Gothic transcriptions include the elementary letters:

     <a>, <e>, <i>, <o>, and <u>

     In addition to the elementary digraphs:

     <ai>, <ei>, <iu>, and <au>

     The short [a] sound as in the German “Mann” is written as <a>, and is found in words like:

     aƕa (river), alan (to grow), waldan (to rule), barn (child), and saggws (song).

     The long [a:] sound is pronounced somthing like the English “father”, and is written in this series as <â>. In native Gothic words it is always placed before <h>. It’s found in words like:

     brâhta (brought), unwâhs (blameless), fâhan (to catch), and spaíkulâtur (speculator).

     The letter “e” is only ever found in its long counterpart [e:] like the English “made”. It is written in this series as <ê> (but before vowels to sound turns to the sound <ai> which we’ll cover later). However, in texts such as the Gospel of St. Luke, it may be written as <ei> or <i>. The opposite may also be true, where <ê> is written where <ei> or <i> should be instead. This sound is found in words like:

     andanêms (agreeable), fahêþs (joy), jêr (year), and qêns (wife).

     The [ɪ] sound is something like the English “bit”, and is written in this series as <i>. Someties it may be seen as <e> or <ê>. It is found in words like:

     itan (to eat), hlifan (to steal), gifts (gift), and fisks (fish).

     <i> when used as a substitute for <ê> is always long.

     <i> before <h>, <ƕ> and <r> is always broken to <ai>.

     Rarely, <ij> may be written as <i>.

     The [i:] sound is something like the English “read”, and is written as <ei>. It’s found in words like:

     beitan (to bite), swein (swine), managei (many), and gasteis (guest).

     Similar to “e”, the “o” sound is only ever found in its long counterpart [o:] like the English “mode”. It is written in this series as <ô>. In some texts it may be confused and written as <u>, and vice versa. Occasionally, <ô> before vowels becomes <au>. It’s found in words such as:

     brôþar (brother), ôgan (to fear), sôkjan (to seek), and frôþs (wise).

     The [ʊ] sound is something like the English “put”, and is written as <u>. Occasionally it may be written as <o>. When before <h>, <ƕ>, or <r>, the <u> becomes <au>, like how short <i> becomes <ai>. It is found in words like:

     juk (yoke), sunus (son), drus (fall), and lusnan (to perish).

     The [u:] sound is something like the English “rude”, and is written here as <û>. It may be written as <ô> in the word “ôhteigo” meaning “opportunely”. When before vowels <û> becomes <au>. It’s found in words like:

     ût (out), þûsundi (thousand), hûhrus (hunger), and ûhtwô (daybreak).

     The falling dipthong <iu> is pronounced as [iw], something like the English “ew”. Before vowels it may be written as <iw>. It’s found in words such as:

     biudan (to offer), dius (animal), iup (upward), and diups (deep).

     The digraph <ai> is used for three distinct sounds. We use the presence or absence of an accent to determine which sound is meant in cases where confusion may occur:

• aí = [ɛ] as in the English “rest” is found before <h>, <r>, and <ƕ> and in some reduplicated syllables.
• ai = [ɛ:] as in the English “red”
• ái = [aj] as in the English “eye”

     The digraph <au> is also used for three distinct sounds. As in the case before, we use the presence or absence of an accent to determine which sound is meant:

• aú = [ɔ] as in the English “not”, and is only found before <h>, <ƕ>, and <r>.
• au = [ɔ:] as in the English “ought”
• áu = [aw] as in the English “out”

     Now we’re off to the consonants!

     The transcription system devised for Gothic consonants to the Latin alphabet includes the consonantal letters:

     b, d, f, g, h, ƕ, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, þ, w, and z.

     The letter <b> may be pronounced 2 ways:

• [b] initially, as well as medially and finally after consonants, as in barn (child), blinds (blind), arbi (heritage) and baíran (to bear).
• [β] medially after vowels, as in liuba (dear), liban (to live), and graban (to dig).

     The letter <d> may be pronounced in 2 ways:

• [d] initially, as well as medially and finally after consonants or when geminated, as in dags (day), huzd (treasure), bindan (to bind).
• [ð] medially after vowels, as in fadar (father), badi (bed), and biudan (to offer).

     The letter <f> is pronounced as the bilabial voiceless fricative [ɸ]. Examples of words featuring <f> include:

• fadar (father), fulls (full), ufar (over), fimf (five), and wulfs (wolf).

     The letter <g> may be pronounced in 4 ways:

• [g] initially, finally, and medially when not between vowels as in bugjan (to buy) and tagla (hairs).
• [ɣ] medially between vowels, as in steigan (to ascend).
• [x] when postvocalic <g> or <gs> at the end of a word, as in dags (day).
• [ŋ] when before <k>, <g>, <gw>, or <q> as in briggan (to bring) and drigkan (to drink).
• However, it should be noted that some instances of <ggw> are instead pronounced as a lengthened <gw>, [g:ʷ], such as triggws (faithful).

     The letter <h> may be pronounced in 2 ways:

• [h] initially before vowels, as well as medially between vowels, as in haban (to have), huzd (treasure), and gateihan (to announce).
• [x] in all other positions as in jah (and), hláifs (loaf), or nahts (night).

     The letter <ƕ> is pronounced either as a labialized [hʷ] or a voiceless [ʍ] as in the word “what” in some dialects of English without the Whine-Wine merger. Examples of the word include:

     ƕeila (time), aƕa (river), and nêƕs (near).

     The letter <j> is pronounced as in the English “yet”. It only ever occurs medially and initially. Examples of words with this sound include:

     juk (yoke), fijands (fiend/enemy), and juggs (young).

     The letter <k> is pronounced as in the English “can”. Unlike English, it must be pronounced word-initially when before consonants like <n>. Examples of words with this sound include:

     kniu (knee), akrs (field), and ik (I).

     The letter <q> is pronounced as in the English “queen”. Unlike English, the letter <u> does not necessarily follow this letter. Examples of words with this sound include:

     sigqan (to sink), qiman (to come), and riqis (darkness).

     The letter <s> is always pronounced as in the English “chess”, never as in “cheese”. Examples of words with this sound include:

     sibun (seven), sama (same), and gras (grass).

     The letter <þ> is pronounced as in the English “thistle”, never as in “that”. Examples of words with this sound include:

aiþ (oath), þliuhan (to flee), and tunþus (tooth).

     The letter <w> is pronounced the same as English, but even word-initially before consonants, and even between consonants, such as wrikan (to persecute).

The sound <r> is trilled as in the Spanish “rojo”.

      When a consonant is doubled (except in some cases of gg as explained before), the time it takes to pronounce the sound is lengthened as in Modern Italian. This is called a geminate consonant (like the constellation Gemini which means “twins”):

     atta (father) || manna (man)

     In Gothic transcriptions, there are no silent letters, so be sure to refer to these rules, and sound out each part of a word.

     Phonology Exercises:

     Using your notes, see if you can pronounce the following Gothic words given the previous rules:

1. þagkjan (to think)
2. haban (to have)
3. ibns (even)
4. brunna (spring/well)
5. dags (day)
6. wraiqs (crooked)
7. þaúrfts (need)
8. qaírrus (gentle)
9. ƕaírban (to walk)
10. fadar (father)
11. graban (to dig)
12. biudan (to offer)
13. drigkan (to drink)
14. steigan (to ascend)
15. háuhs (high)

     Today’s Vocabulary:

• Hails (Hello/Greetings)
• Guþ (Goodbye)
• Gutþiuda (Goth)

      Resources:

• Grammar Of The Gothic Language by Joseph Wright
• A Gothic grammar with selections for reading and a glossary by Wilhelm Braune and Gerhard Hubert Balg
• A primer of the Gothic language by Joseph Wright
• A comparative glossary of the Gothic language with special reference to English and German by Gerhard Hubert Balg
• Das gothische Runenalphabet : eine Abhandlung by A. Kirchhoff