𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌹

Gothic

FWOTD – 22 February 2023

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *halbō (“half, side; direction”). Cognate to Old English healf and Old High German halba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhal.bɛː/

Noun

𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌹 • (halbai) f (dative singular)

1. aspect (any specific feature, part, or element of something)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Second Epistle to the Corinthians (Codex Ambrosianus A & B) 3.10:

     𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌴 𐌽𐌹 𐍅𐌰𐍃 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌰𐌲 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌰𐌲𐍉 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌹 𐌹𐌽 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌰𐍃𐍃𐌰𐌿𐍃 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍃;

     untē ni was wulþag þata wulþagō in þizai halbai in ufarassaus wulþaus;

     For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Second Epistle to the Corinthians (Codex Ambrosianus B) 9.3:

     𐌰𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐌱𐍂𐍉𐌸𐍂𐌿𐌽𐍃, 𐌴𐌹 𐍈𐍉𐍆𐍄𐌿𐌻𐌹 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰 𐍃𐍉 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌽𐌹 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐌹 𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌹, 𐌴𐌹 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌵𐌰𐌸, 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌹 𐍃𐌹𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌸;

     aþþan fauragasandida brōþruns, ei ƕōftuli unsara sō fram izwis ni waurþi lausa in þizai halbai, ei swaswē qaþ, gamanwidai sijaiþ;

     Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: (KJV).

Usage notes

• The attested meaning is an extension of its likely primary meaning half or side, but this meaning is not attested. Compare the related adjective 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍃 (halbs).

Declension

Only the dative singular of this terms is attested (in the phrase 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌹 (in þizai halbai, “in this respect”)), which is not enough to determine its stem. It may have been either an ō-stem or an i-stem. An ō-stem is usually assumed, due to the lemma's cognates.

Related terms

• 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍃 (halbs, “half”)

Further reading

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “H26. *halbs”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 173
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 54