𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱

Gothic

Etymology

To the same root as Proto-Germanic *lambaz (“lamb”), though the Gothic word is an a-stem, not an s-stem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlamb/

Noun

𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 • (lamb) n

2. sheep (woolly ruminant)
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, John 10:2:

     𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌰 𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌴.

     iþ sa inngaggands þairh daur hairdeis ist lambē.

     But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (KJV).

   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, Romans 8:36:

     𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌴𐌻𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌿𐌺 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰 𐌰𐌻𐌻 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃, 𐍂𐌰𐌷𐌽𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌹 𐍅𐌴𐍃𐌿𐌼 𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍃.

     swaswē gamēliþ ist þatei in þuk gadauþjanda all dagis, rahnidai wēsum swē lamba slauhtais.

     As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (KJV).

3. lamb (young sheep)
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, Luke 10:3:

     𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌹𐌸, 𐍃𐌰𐌹 𐌹𐌺 𐌹𐌽𐍃𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌹 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐌴.

     gaggiþ, sai ik insandja izwis swē lamba in midumai wulfē.

     Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. (KJV).

Usage notes

In the sense of "lamb", this word occurs once, translating ἀρήν m or f (arḗn, “lamb, sheep”). Another word for "lamb", 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌿𐍃 (wiþrus), translates ἀμνός m (amnós, “lamb”)

Declension

Neuter a-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 lamb	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 lamba
Vocative	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 lamb	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 lamba
Accusative	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 lamb	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 lamba
Genitive	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌹𐍃 lambis	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌴 lambē
Dative	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 lamba	𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰𐌼 lambam

Hyponyms

• 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌿𐍃 (wiþrus, “lamb”)

Holonyms

• 𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌸𐌹 (awēþi, “flock of sheep”)

Coordinate terms

• 𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍃𐌰 (auhsa, “ox”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍃 (gaits, “goat”)
• 𐌿𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 (ulbandus, “camel”)
• 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌽 (swein, “pig”)

See also

• 𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 (awistr, “sheepfold”)
• 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐍃 (hairdeis, “shepherd”)
• 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰 (wulla, “wool”)

Further reading

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “L12. lamb”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 226
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 79