𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin asellus, or possibly from an assimilated form of Late Latin asinus. Compare Proto-West Germanic *asil (whence Old English esol and Old High German esil).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.si.lus/

Noun

𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿𐍃 • (asilus) m

2. donkey (animal)
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, John 12:14–15:

     𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌰𐍄 𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌹𐌴𐍃𐌿𐍃 𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿, ⟨𐌾𐌰𐌷⟩ 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌰𐍄 𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌹𐌽𐌰, 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍃𐌴𐍂 𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌴𐌻𐌹𐌸: 𐌽𐌹 𐍉𐌲𐍃 𐌸𐌿𐍃, 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐌰𐍂 𐍃𐌹𐍉𐌽, 𐍃𐌰𐌹, 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌹𐌽 𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃.

     bigat þan iēsus asilu, ⟨jah⟩ gasat ana ina, swasēr ist gamēliþ: ni ōgs þus, dauhtar siōn, sai, þiudans þeins qimiþ sitands ana fulin asilaus.

     And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. (KJV).

   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, Luke 19:30:

     𐌵𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃: 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐍄𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐍉 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍉𐌽 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌼, 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌰𐌹𐌴𐌹 𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌹𐍄𐌰𐍄𐍃 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽 𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌰, 𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌴𐌹 𐌽𐌹 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃𐌷𐌿𐌽 𐌰𐌹𐍅 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌴 𐍃𐌰𐍄; 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌱𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌹𐌽𐌰 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌹𐌸.

     qiþands: gaggats in þō wiþrawairþōn haim, in þizaiei inngaggandans bigitats fulan asilaus gabundanana, ana þammei ni ainshun aiw mannē sat; andbindandans ina attiuhiþ.

     Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a[n ass' ] colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. (KJV).

Declension

Masculine/feminine u-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿𐍃 asilus	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌿𐍃 asiljus
Vocative	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌿 asilau	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌿𐍃 asiljus
Accusative	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿 asilu	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌽𐍃 asiluns
Genitive	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃 asilaus	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌹𐍅𐌴 asiliwē
Dative	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌿 asilau	𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌼 asilum

Coordinate terms

• 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌰 (fula, “colt”)

Derived terms

• 𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌵𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 (asiluqairnus, “millstone”)

Descendants

• (possibly) Proto-Slavic: *osьlъ (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “A208. *asilus”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 45
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 13