𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

Uncertain. Traditionally considered to be derived from a Germanic term related to Proto-Germanic *jehwlą (the Proto-Germanic form, an a-stem neuter, cannot have been a direct ancestor of this Gothic form, but may be related).

David Landau argues instead (counter to the dominant interpretation as found in e.g. Lehmann's etymological dictionary) that the word was an abbreviated nomen sacrum and that an original pagan meaning would be very improbable, denying a Proto-Germanic origin. The word is, in his view, a loan from Ancient Greek ἰωβηλαῖος (iōbēlaîos), in the Biblical sense of Jubilee, ultimately from Hebrew יוֹבֵל (which may in turn derive from an Indo-European language; see the discussion at jubilee). Regarding the apparent Germanic cognates of the Gothic term: he argues that they too derive similarly, and that the -h- that is found in them is not etymological, explaining its absence in Gothic. (This, it should be stressed, is not a majority view.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjiu̯.liːs/

Noun

𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 • (jiuleis) m

1. Yule(-month), December
   • Gothic Calendar:

     𐌽𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂[?] [...] 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 ·𐌻·

     naubaimbair[?] [...] fruma jiuleis ·l·

     November[?] [...] first?/before? Yule 30

Usage notes

• Due to the text being a poorly-conserved palimpsest and there being no other similar texts with which to compare, the interpretation of the month-line in this manuscript is very unclear.
• The relevant line in the manuscript text, in which a word 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 (fruma) is legible before the word 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 (jiuleis), has also been read as a compound 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 (frumajiuleis). If these two words are taken together as a compound or otherwise (literally, "[the month] before Yule", just as elsewhere 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 (fruma) 𐍃𐌰𐌱𐌱𐌰𐍄𐍉 (sabbatō, “Sabbath”) means "Friday), the two-word compound or phrase may mean "November" instead. Landau, however, disputes this.
• Landau also disputes the interpretation of the first word as naubaimbair (see 𐌽𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂 (naubaimbair)), claiming it is too illegible to definitively establish that reading (versus the relatively clearly visible fruma jiuleis at the end). For a clearer view of the difficulties surrounding this line, refer to the articles below.

References

• Landau, D., 'On the reading and interpretation of the month-line in the Gothic calendar ', Transactions of the Philological Society 104.1 (2006) 3-12.

• Landau, D., 'The source of the Gothic month name jiuleis and its cognates', Namenkundliche Informationen 95/96 (2009) 239-248. (Universität Leipzig)

• Lehmann, W., A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (Leiden 1986) p. 211.