𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂

Gothic

Etymology

Unknown; the word appears to have no Germanic, and indeed no clear Indo-European cognates.

Attempts have been made to account for the transmitted form aibr, for which see Lehmann (1986) and Snædal (2015), who both dismiss these proposals. Snædal instead proposes a scribal error as the most likely explanation: the initial 𐌰 would have been 𐌻 (which is very similar in appearance), which would instead yield *𐌻𐌹𐌱𐍂 (*libr), derived from 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (galēwjan, “offer, give, hand over”). Alternatively, the 𐌰 may be a sloppy scribal error for 𐍄 (which is also similar in appearance), rendering *𐍄𐌹𐌱𐍂 (*tibr), thus tying it to Proto-Germanic *tibrą (“offering, sacrifice”). Lehmann appears to favor the emendation to *tibr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛːβr/

Noun

𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂 • (aibr) n

1. (hapax) gift, offering
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, Matthew 5:23–24:

     𐌾𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹 𐌽𐌿 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃 𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽 𐌳𐌿 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌻𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌳𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐍂 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 𐌱𐍂𐍉𐌸𐌰𐍂 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐍈𐌰 𐌱𐌹 𐌸𐌿𐌺 𐌰𐍆𐌻𐌴𐍄 𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐍂 𐌸𐍉 𐌲𐌹𐌱𐌰 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌾𐌰 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌻𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌳𐌹𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲.

     jabai nu bairais aibr þein du hunslastada jah jainar gamuneis þatei brōþar þeins habaiþ ƕa bi þuk aflēt jainar þō giba þeina in andwairþja hunslastadis jah gagg.

     Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way.

Declension

Neuter a-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂 aibr	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂𐌰 aibra
Vocative	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂 aibr	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂𐌰 aibra
Accusative	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂 aibr	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂𐌰 aibra
Genitive	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂𐌹𐍃 aibris	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂𐌴 aibrē
Dative	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂𐌰 aibra	𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂𐌰𐌼 aibram

References

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “A61. aibr; T25. *tibr”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, pages 13-14; 344
• Snædal, Magnús, "Gothic aibr 'gift, offering'", in: Words and Dictionaries. A Festschrift for Professor Stanisław Stachowski on the Occasion of His 85th Birthday, ed. E. Mańczak-Wohlfeld, B. Podolak, Kraków 2015: 287-296. [academia.edu]