𐌲𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

From 𐌲𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰- (gistra-, compare yester-) +‎ *𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 (*dagis, “by day”, adverbial form of 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 (dags)). Alternatively, the compound may be an adverbial form of an unattested noun *𐌲𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 (*gistradags, “tomorrow”).

The first element, which usually points to a preceding day (and not a following day, as in Gothic), has attracted some scholarly attention. It has been suggested that the meaning in Gothic shifted from “yesterday” to “adjacent day”, and thence to its singly attested meaning of “tomorrow” in Gothic. Compare also the use of the etymologically related Old Norse gær (which normally means “yesterday”) to indicate “tomorrow” in Hamðismál 30:6.

Adverb

𐌲𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 • (gistradagis)

1. (hapax) tomorrow

References

• Lehmann, W., A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (Leiden 1986) p. 156.