𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *luftuz (“roof, sky, air”). Contains the suffix -𐌸𐌿𐍃 (-þus). Cognate to Old English lyft f (“air, sky”) and Old Norse lopt n (“attic, air”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈluf.tus/

Noun

𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃 • (luftus) ?

2. air (the apparently open space above the ground)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: First Epistle to the Corinthians (Codex Ambrosianus A) 9.26:

     𐌰𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌹𐌺 𐌽𐌿 𐍃𐍅𐌰 𐍂𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰, 𐌽𐌹 ‹𐍃𐍅𐌴› 𐌳𐌿 𐌿𐌽𐍅𐌹𐍃‹𐍃›𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰; 𐍃𐍅𐌰 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌺𐌰, 𐌽𐌹 𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿 𐌱𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃;

     aþþan ik nu swa rinna, ni ‹swē› du unwis‹s›amma; swa jiuka, ni swē luftu bliggwands;

     I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Epistle to the Ephesians (Codex Ambrosianus A) 2.2:

     𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌴𐌹 𐍃𐌹𐌼𐌻𐌴 𐌹𐌳𐌳𐌾𐌴𐌳𐌿𐌷 𐌱𐌹 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹 𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌹 𐌸𐌹𐍃 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌰𐌿𐍃, 𐌱𐌹 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌿𐍆𐌽𐌾𐌹𐍃 𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿𐍃, 𐌰𐌷𐌼𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌸𐌹𐍃 𐌽𐌿 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌿𐌼 𐌿𐌽𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌹𐍃,

     in þaimei simlē iddjēduh bi þizai aldai þis fairƕaus, bi reik waldufnjis luftaus, ahmins þis nu waurkjandains in sunum ungalaubeinais,

     Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: First Epistle to the Thessalonians (Codex Ambrosianus B) 4.17:

     𐌸𐌰𐌸𐍂𐍉 𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐌹 𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃, 𐌸𐌰𐌹 𐌰𐍆𐌻𐌹𐍆𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌻𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌷𐌼𐌰𐌼 𐌳𐌿 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐍉𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌹𐌽 𐌹𐌽 𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿 𐌾𐌰𐌷 ‹𐍃𐍅𐌰› 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼𐍅𐌹𐌲𐌹𐍃 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌹𐌽 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌼.

     þaþrō þan weis þai libandans, þai aflifnandans suns miþ imma frawilwanda in milhmam du gamōtjan fraujin in luftau jah ‹swa› framwigis miþ fraujin wairþam.

     Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (KJV).

Declension

Neither a nominative nor a vocative form is attested, and the gender cannot be determined with any certainty. It may have been masculine or feminine:

Masculine/feminine u-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃 luftus	—
Vocative	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿 luftau	—
Accusative	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿 luftu	—
Genitive	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿𐍃 luftaus	—
Dative	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿 luftau	—

or it may have been neuter:

Neuter u-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿 luftu	—
Vocative	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿 luftu	—
Accusative	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿 luftu	—
Genitive	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿𐍃 luftaus	—
Dative	𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰𐌿 luftau	—

See also

• 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐍃 (himins, “heaven”)
• 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌳𐍃 (winds, “wind”)

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 86