𐌽𐌹𐌳𐍅𐌰

Gothic

Etymology

Contested; Lehmann list several possibilities. Possibly to be connected with the first element of Old Norse niðfǫlr, in which case the Old Norse word might mean "rust-yellow". Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *nidwō (“going down, sinking, downfall”), or from a compound involving the same first element as Old English neowol, or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ney- (“to be aroused, shine”) (whence latin Latin niteō (“to glitter, shine”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnid.wa/, [ˈnið.wa]

Noun

𐌽𐌹𐌳𐍅𐌰 • (nidwa) ?

2. rust, corrosion (the act of corroding)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Matthew (Codex Argenteus) 6.19–20:

     𐌽𐌹 𐌷𐌿𐌶𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌷𐌿𐌶𐌳𐌰 𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌹, 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍉 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌽𐌹𐌳𐍅𐌰 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐌸, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌱𐍉𐍃 𐌿𐍆𐌲𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌷𐌻𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌽𐌳. / 𐌹𐌸 𐌷𐌿𐌶𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌷𐌿𐌶𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌰, 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 𐌽𐌹𐌷 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍉 𐌽𐌹𐌷 𐌽𐌹𐌳𐍅𐌰 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐌸, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌱𐍉𐍃 𐌽𐌹 𐌿𐍆𐌲𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐌽𐌹𐌷 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽𐌳.

     ni huzdjaiþ izwis huzda ana airþai, þarei malō jah nidwa frawardeiþ, jah þarei þiubōs ufgraband jah hlifand. / iþ huzdjaiþ izwis huzda in himina, þarei nih malō nih nidwa frawardeiþ, jah þarei þiubōs ni ufgraband nih stiland.

     Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: / But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (KJV).

Declension

Only attested in the nominative singular, which theoretically makes a masculine an-stem and feminine ō-stem equally likely possibilities. A feminine ō-stem is usually assumed.

See also

• 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍉 (malō, “moth”)
• 𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌽 (eisarn, “iron”)

References

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “N19. nidwa”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 266

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 101