-𐌿

See also: 𐌿

Gothic

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Germanic *-u, from Proto-Indo-European *-wē~*-we (“or”). This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Particle

-𐌿 • (-u) (interrogative enclitic)

1. Added to the end of a word in a phrase (usually the first word) to make it a question.
   • Gothic Bible, Galatians 3:2:

     […] 𐌿𐌶𐌿 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍃𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌼 𐍅𐌹𐍄𐍉𐌳𐌹𐍃 𐌰𐌷𐌼𐌰𐌽 𐌽𐌴𐌼𐌿𐌸 𐌸𐌰𐌿 𐌿𐌶𐌿 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌹 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌹𐍃?

     […] uzu waurstwam witōdis ahman nēmuþ þau uzu gahauseinai galaubeinais?

     [was it] from [the] works of [the] law [you] took [the] spirit or from [the] hearing of [the] faith?

Usage notes

• This suffix is used when asking yes/no questions or to present a binary choice between two options. It is a sentence clitic and is always attached after the first word in a clause.
• If the first word begins with a prefix, the clitic is attached after that prefix along with other sentence particles following it, as in 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐍄𐍃 (gaulaubjats).