𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *nadraz. Compare Old English nǣdre, whence English adder. Formed to the same root as Latin natrix (“water snake”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnadrs/, [ˈnaðrs]

Noun

𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐍃 • (nadrs) m

2. (hapax) viper, adder (venomous snake)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 3.7:

     𐌵𐌰𐌸 𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌳𐌿 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐌼 𐌰𐍄𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌴𐌹𐌼 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌼 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍀𐌾𐌰𐌽 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐍃𐌹𐍃: 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌹 𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌴, 𐍈𐌰𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌸𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌽 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌹𐌽 𐌷𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌶𐌰?

     qaþ þan du þaim atgaggandeim manageim daupjan fram sis: kuni nadrē, ƕas gataiknida izwis þliuhan faura þamma anawairþin hatiza?

     Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (KJV).

Reconstruction notes

Only the genitive plural 𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌴 (nadrē) is attested, which is not enough to determine whether this word is an a-stem, an i-stem or a consonant stem, or whether it is masculine, feminine or neuter; Streitberg and Lehmann, though, both consider it likely to be a masculine a-stem, comparing it to its Old Norse cognate.

Declension

No singular forms are attested, but they probably existed.

Masculine a-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐍃 nadrs	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐍉𐍃 nadrōs
Vocative	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂 nadr	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐍉𐍃 nadrōs
Accusative	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂 nadr	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌽𐍃 nadrans
Genitive	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌹𐍃 nadris	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌴 nadrē
Dative	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰 nadra	𐌽𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌼 nadram

Hypernyms

• 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌼𐍃 (waurms, “snake, serpent”)

References

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “N1. *nadrs”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 262
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 97