𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐍃

Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wulfaz, from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos. Cognate to Old English wulf and Old Norse ulfr, and Koine Greek λύκος (lúkos), which it translates.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwulfs/

Noun

𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐍃 • (wulfs) m

2. wolf (animal)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of John (Codex Argenteus) 10.12:

     𐌹𐌸 𐌰𐍃𐌽𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍃𐌰𐌴𐌹 𐌽𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐍃, 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌴𐌹 𐌽𐌹 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐌳 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍃𐌰, 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌹𐌸 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆 𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌱𐌹𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐌼 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰𐌼 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌹𐌸, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍃𐌰 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐍃 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌻𐍅𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐍉 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌳𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐍉 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰

     iþ asneis jah saei nist hairdeis, þizei ni sind lamba swēsa, gasaiƕiþ wulf qimandan jah bileiþiþ þaim lambam jah þliuhiþ, jah sa wulfs frawilwiþ þō jah distahjiþ þō lamba

     But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 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).

Declension

Masculine a-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐍃 wulfs	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐍉𐍃 wulfōs
Vocative	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆 wulf	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐍉𐍃 wulfōs
Accusative	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆 wulf	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐌰𐌽𐍃 wulfans
Genitive	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐌹𐍃 wulfis	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐌴 wulfē
Dative	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐌰 wulfa	𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐌰𐌼 wulfam

Hypernyms

• 𐌳𐌹𐌿𐍃 (dius, “wild animal”)

Coordinate terms

• 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍉 (fauhō, “fox”)
• 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰 (laiwa, “lion”)

Derived terms

• *𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌰 (*wulfila)

See also

• 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 (lamb, “sheep, lamb”)

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 179