Gothic verbs
Gothic verbs have the most complex conjugation of any attested Germanic language, preserving the entire Proto-Germanic verb system more or less intact.
Strong verbs
The following is a table of all the different types and subtypes of strong verbs.
| Class | Gloss | Infinitive | Past Singular | Past Plural | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class Ia | "to bite" | beitan | báit | bitum | bitans |
| Class Ib | "to fight" | weihan | wáih | waíhum | waíhans |
| Class IIa | "to fall" | driusan | dráus | drusum | drusans |
| Class IIb | "to lead" | tiuhan | táuh | taúhum | taúhans |
| Class II, aorist-present | "to shut" | ga-lūkan | ga-láuk | ga-lukum | ga-lukans |
| Class IIIa | "to bind" | bindan | band | bundum | bundans |
| Class IIIb | "to become" | waírþan | warþ | waúrþum | waúrþans |
| Class IVa | "to take" | niman | nam | nēmum | numans |
| Class IVb | "to bear" | baíran | bar | bērum | baúrans |
| Class IV, aorist-present | "to tread" | trudan | *traþ | *trēdum | trudans |
| Class Va | "to say" | qiþan | qaþ | qēþum | qiþans |
| "to give" | giban | gaf | gēbum | gibans | |
| "to hasten" | sniwan | snáu | snēwum | sniwans | |
| Class Va, -j- present | "to pray" | bidjan | baþ | bēdum | bidans |
| Class Va, irregular | "to eat" | itan | ēt | ētum | itans |
| Class Vb | "to see" | saíƕan | saƕ | sēƕum | saíƕans |
| Class Vb, -n- present | "to ask" | fraíhnan | frah | frēhum | fraíhans |
| Class VI | "to go" | faran | fōr | fōrum | farans |
| "to dig" | graban | grōf | grōbum | grabans | |
| Class VI, -j- present | "to understand" | fraþjan | frōþ | frōþum | fraþans |
| Class VI, n-infix present | "to stand" | standan | stōþ | stōþum | *staþans |
| Class VII(a) | "to fold" | falþan | faífalþ | faífalþum | falþans |
| "to seize" | fāhan | faífāh | faífāhum | fāhans | |
| "to call" | haítan | haíháit | haíháitum | háitans | |
| "to sleep" | slēpan | saíslēp, saízlēp | saíslēpum, saízlēpum | slēpans | |
| "to boast" | ƕōpan | ƕaíƕōp | ƕaíƕōpum | ƕōpans | |
| "to revile" | *lauan | *laílō | *laílōum | *lauans | |
| "to add" | áukan | aíáuk | aíáukum | áukans | |
| Class VII(b) | "to weep" | grētan | gaígrōt | gaígrōtum | grētans |
| "to reflect upon" | ga-rēdan | ga-raírōþ | ga-raírōdum | ga-rēdans | |
| "to sow" | saian | saísō | saísōum | saians |
The following strong verbs are extant in Gothic:
- Class Ia: beidan "to await" (báiþ), beitan "to bite", deigan "to knead", dreiban "to drive" (dráif), greipan "to seize", hneiwan "to bow", bi-leiban "to remain" (bi-láif), ga-leiþan "to go", ur-reisan "to arise", skeinan "to shine", dis-skreitan "to rend", ga-smeitan "to smear", sneiþan "to cut", speiwan "to spit", steigan "to ascend", sweiban "to cease" (swáif), weipan "to crown", in-weitan "to worship";
- Class Ib: leiƕan "to lend", ga-teihan "to tell", þeihan "to thrive", þreihan "to press upon", weihan "to fight";
- Class IIa: ana-biudan "to bid" (ana-báuþ), biugan "to bend", driugan "to serve as a soldier", driusan "to fall", giutan "to pour", hiufan "to mourn", dis-hniupan "to break asunder", kiusan "to test", kriustan "to gnash"; liudan "to grow" (láuþ), liugan "to lie", fra-liusan "to lose", niutan "to enjoy", siukan "to be sick", af-skiuban "to push aside" (af-skáuf), sliupan "to slip", us-þriutan "to trouble";
- Class IIb: tiuhan "to lead", þliuhan "to flee";
- Class II, aorist-present: ga-lūkan "to shut";
- Class IIIa: bindan "to bind", bliggwan "to beat", brinnan "to burn", drigkan "to drink", filhan "to hide", finþan "to find", us-gildan "to repay", du-ginnan "to begin", hilpan "to help", fra-hinþan "to capture", af-linnan "to depart", rinnan "to run", siggwan "to sing", sigqan "to sink", fra-slindan "to swallow up", spinnan "to spin", stigqan "to thrust", swiltan "to die", ana-trimpan "to tread on", at-þinsan "to attract", þriskan "to thresh", wilwan "to rob", windan "to wind", winnan "to suffer", ga-wrisqan "to bear fruit";
- Class IIIb: baírgan "to keep", uf-gaírdan "to gird up", ƕaírban "to walk", af-swaírban "to wipe out", ga-þaírsan "to wither", waírpan "to throw", waírþan "to become";
- Class IVa: brikan "to break", niman "to take", qiman "to come", stilan "to steal", ga-timan "to suit";
- Class IVb: baíran "to bear", ga-taíran "to destroy";
- Class IV, aorist-present: trudan "to tread";
- Class Va: diwan "to die" (dáu), fitan "to travail in birth", giban "to give" (gaf), bi-gitan "to find", hlifan "to steal", ligan "to lie down", lisan "to gather", mitan "to measure", ga-nisan "to be saved", niþan "to help", qiþan "to say", rikan "to heap up", sitan "to sit", sniwan "to hasten" (snáu), ga-widan "to bind" (ga-waþ), ga-wigan "to shake down", wisan "to be, remain", wrikan "to persecute";
- Class Va, -j- present: bidjan "to pray";
- Class Va, irregular: itan "to eat";
- Class Vb: saíƕan "to see";
- Class Vb, -n- present: fraíhnan "to ask";
- Class VI: alan "to grow", us-anan "to expire", ga-daban "to beseem" (ga-dōf), ga-draban "to hew out" (ga-drōf), ga-dragan "to heap up", faran "to go", graban "to dig" (grōf), af-hlaþan "to lade", malan "to grind", sakan "to rebuke", skaban "to shave" (skōf), slahan "to smite", swaran "to swear", þwahan "to wash", wakan "to wake";
- Class VI, -j- present: fraþjan "to understand", hafjan "to raise", hlahjan "to laugh", ga-raþjan "to count", ga-skapjan "to create", skaþjan "to injure", wahsjan "to grow";
- Class VI, n-infix present: standan "to stand" (stōþ);
- Class VII(a), -a- present: us-alþan "to grow old", blandan "to mix", falþan "to fold", gaggan "to go" (past supplied by iddja), haldan "to hold", ana-praggan "to oppress", saltan "to salt", ga-staldan "to possess", waldan "to rule";
- Class VII(a), -ā- present: fāhan "to seize", hāhan "to hang";
- Class VII(a), -ái- present: af-áikan "to deny", fráisan "to tempt", háitan "to call", láikan "to leap", máitan "to cut", skáidan "to divide"(skaískáiþ), ga-þláihan "to cherish, comforẗ";
- Class VII(a), -ē- present: uf-blēsan "to blow up, puff up", slēpan "to sleep";
- Class VII(a), -ō- present: blōtan "to worship", *flōkan "to bewail", ƕōpan "to boast";
- Class VII(a), -au- present: *lauan "to revile" (*laílō); possibly also *bnauan "to rub", which may be a Class III weak verb (see below);
- Class VII(a), -áu- present: áukan "to add", hláupan "to leap", stáutan "to smite";
- Class VII(b), -ē- present: grētan "to weep", lētan "to let", ga-rēdan "to reflect upon" (ga-raírōþ), tēkan "to touch";
- Class VII(b), -ai- present: saian "to sow", *waian "to blow".
The following is a sample paradigm of a strong verb, niman "to take".
| Indicative | Optative | Imperative | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Passive | Active | Passive | Active | ||
| Present | 1st sing | nima | nimada | nimáu | nimáidáu | — |
| 2nd sing | nimis | nimaza | nimáis | nimáizáu | nim | |
| 3rd sing | nimiþ | nimada | nimái | nimáidáu | nimadáu | |
| 1st dual | nimōs | — | nimáiwa | — | — | |
| 2nd dual | nimats | — | nimáits | nimats | nimats | |
| 1st plur | nimam | nimanda | nimáima | nimáindáu | nimam | |
| 2nd plur | nimiþ | nimanda | nimáiþ | nimáindáu | nimiþ | |
| 3rd plur | nimand | nimanda | nimáina | nimáindáu | nimandáu | |
| Past | 1st sing | nam | — | nēmjáu | — | — |
| 2nd sing | namt | nēmeis | ||||
| 3rd sing | nam | nēmi | ||||
| 1st dual | nēmu | nēmeiwa | ||||
| 2nd dual | nēmuts | nēmeits | ||||
| 1st plur | nēmum | nēmeima | ||||
| 2nd plur | nēmuþ | nēmeiþ | ||||
| 3rd plur | nēmun | nēmeina | ||||
| Infinitive | niman | |||||
| Present Participle | nimands | |||||
| Past Participle | numans | |||||
Weak verbs
Class I verbs
The following is a sample paradigm of three class I weak verbs, nasjan "to save" (short stem-syllable), stōjan "to judge" (long open stem-syllable), and sōkjan "to seek" (long closed stem-syllable).
Note that verbs with a polysyllabic root behave like sōkjan regardless of the nature of the last syllable of the root; hence, glitmunjan "to shine" behaves like sōkjan and is conjugated in the present indicative glitmunja, glitmuneis, glitmuneiþ, ....
| Indicative | Optative | Imperative | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Passive | Active | Passive | Active | ||||||||||||
| Present | 1st sing | nasja | stōja | sōkja | nasjada | stōjada | sōkjada | nasjáu | stōjáu | sōkjáu | nasjáidáu | stōjáidáu | sōkjáidáu | — | — | — |
| 2nd sing | nasjis | stōjis | sōkeis | nasjaza | stōjaza | sōkjaza | nasjáis | stōjáis | sōkjáis | nasjáizáu | stōjáizáu | sōkjáizáu | nasei | *stauei | sōkei | |
| 3rd sing | nasjiþ | stōjiþ | sōkeiþ | nasjada | stōjada | sōkjada | nasjái | stōjái | sōkjái | nasjáidáu | stōjáidáu | sōkjáidáu | nasjadáu | stōjadáu | sōkjadáu | |
| 1st dual | nasjōs | stōjōs | sōkjōs | — | — | — | nasjáiwa | stōjáiwa | sōkjáiwa | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2nd dual | nasjats | stōjats | sōkjats | — | — | — | nasjáits | stōjáits | sōkjáits | — | — | — | nasjats | stōjats | sōkjats | |
| 1st plur | nasjam | stōjam | sōkjam | nasjanda | stōjanda | sōkjanda | nasjáima | stōjáima | sōkjáima | nasjáindáu | stōjáindáu | sōkjáindáu | nasjam | stōjam | sōkjam | |
| 2nd plur | nasjiþ | stōjiþ | sōkeiþ | nasjanda | stōjanda | sōkjanda | nasjáiþ | stōjáiþ | sōkjáiþ | nasjáindáu | stōjáindáu | sōkjáindáu | nasjiþ | stōjiþ | sōkeiþ | |
| 3rd plur | nasjand | stōjand | sōkjand | nasjanda | stōjanda | sōkjanda | nasjáina | stōjáina | sōkjáina | nasjáindáu | stōjáindáu | sōkjáindáu | nasjandáu | stōjandáu | sōkjandáu | |
| Past | 1st sing | nasida | stauida | sōkida | — | — | — | nasidēdjáu | stauidēdjáu | sōkidēdjáu | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd sing | nasidēs | stauidēs | sōkidēs | nasidēdeis | stauidēdeis | sōkidēdeis | ||||||||||
| 3rd sing | nasida | stauida | sōkida | nasidēdi | stauidēdi | sōkidēdi | ||||||||||
| 1st dual | nasidēdu | stauidēdu | sōkidēdu | nasidēdeiwa | stauidēdeiwa | sōkidēdeiwa | ||||||||||
| 2nd dual | nasidēduts | stauidēduts | sōkidēduts | nasidēdeits | stauidēdeits | sōkidēdeits | ||||||||||
| 1st plur | nasidēdum | stauidēdum | sōkidēdum | nasidēdeima | stauidēdeima | sōkidēdeima | ||||||||||
| 2nd plur | nasidēduþ | stauidēduþ | sōkidēduþ | nasidēdeiþ | stauidēdeiþ | sōkidēdeiþ | ||||||||||
| 3rd plur | nasidēdun | stauidēdun | sōkidēdun | nasidēdeina | stauidēdeina | sōkidēdeina | ||||||||||
| Infinitive | nasjan | stōjan | sōkjan | |||||||||||||
| Past Participle | nasiþs | stauiþs | sōkiþs | |||||||||||||
Note stōjan changes to stauida in the past in accordance with general phonetic rules. Other verbs with similar changes are
- ana-niujan "to renew", ga-qiujan "to give life to", siujan "to sew", which change to e.g. ana-niwida in the past.
- *stráujan and *táujan, which change to e.g. strawida in the past.
Some class I verbs have an irregular past due to the fact that the -i- in the past was lost in Proto-Germanic:
| Infinitive | Gloss | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| briggan | "to bring" | brāhta | *brāhts |
| brūkjan | "to use" | brūhta | *brūhts |
| bugjan | "to buy" | baúhta | *baúhts |
| gaggan | "to go" | iddja | gaggans |
| káupatjan | "to buffet" | káupasta | káupatiþs |
| þagkjan | "to think" | þāhta | þāhts |
| þugkan | "to seem" | þūhta | þūhts |
| waúrkjan | "to work" | waúrhta | waúrhts |
Note:
- gaggan is properly a Class VII strong verb. iddja is declined like a weak verb. A weak past gaggida also occurs once.
- briggan is properly a Class III strong verb, with other parts taken from a lost verb *braggjan (cf. Old English breng(e)an, Old Saxon brengian).
Class II verbs
The following is a sample paradigm of a class II weak verb, salbōn "to anoint".
| Indicative | Optative | Imperative | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Passive | Active | Passive | Active | ||
| Present | 1st sing | salbō | salbōda | salbō | salbōdáu | — |
| 2nd sing | salbōs | salbōza | salbōs | salbōzáu | salbō | |
| 3rd sing | salbōþ | salbōda | salbō | salbōdáu | salbōdáu | |
| 1st dual | salbōs | — | salbōwa | — | — | |
| 2nd dual | salbōts | — | salbōts | salbōts | salbōts | |
| 1st plur | salbōm | salbōnda | salbōma | salbōndáu | salbōm | |
| 2nd plur | salbōþ | salbōnda | salbōþ | salbōndáu | salbōþ | |
| 3rd plur | salbōnd | salbōnda | salbōna | salbōndáu | salbōndáu | |
| Past | 1st sing | salbōda | — | salbōdēdjáu | — | — |
| 2nd sing | salbōdēs | salbōdēdeis | ||||
| 3rd sing | salbōda | salbōdēdi | ||||
| 1st dual | salbōdēdu | salbōdēdeiwa | ||||
| 2nd dual | salbōdēduts | salbōdēdeits | ||||
| 1st plur | salbōdēdum | salbōdēdeima | ||||
| 2nd plur | salbōdēduþ | salbōdēdeiþ | ||||
| 3rd plur | salbōdēdun | salbōdēdeina | ||||
| Infinitive | salbōn | |||||
| Past Participle | salbōþs | |||||
Class III verbs
The following is a sample paradigm of a class III weak verb, haban "to have".
| Indicative | Optative | Imperative | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Passive | Active | Passive | Active | ||
| Present | 1st sing | haba | habada | habáu | habáidáu | — |
| 2nd sing | habáis | habaza | habáis | habáizáu | habái | |
| 3rd sing | habáiþ | habada | habái | habáidáu | habadáu | |
| 1st dual | habōs | — | habáiwa | — | — | |
| 2nd dual | habats | — | habáits | habats | habats | |
| 1st plur | habam | habanda | habáima | habáindáu | habam | |
| 2nd plur | habáiþ | habanda | habáiþ | habáindáu | habáiþ | |
| 3rd plur | haband | habanda | habáina | habáindáu | habandáu | |
| Past | 1st sing | habáida | — | habáidēdjáu | — | — |
| 2nd sing | habáidēs | habáidēdeis | ||||
| 3rd sing | habáida | habáidēdi | ||||
| 1st dual | habáidēdu | habáidēdeiwa | ||||
| 2nd dual | habáidēduts | habáidēdeits | ||||
| 1st plur | habáidēdum | habáidēdeima | ||||
| 2nd plur | habáidēduþ | habáidēdeiþ | ||||
| 3rd plur | habáidēdun | habáidēdeina | ||||
| Infinitive | haban | |||||
| Past Participle | habáiþs | |||||
Class III is apparently a closed class, containing only the following verbs: áistan "to reverence", ana-silan "to be silent", and-staúrran "to murmur against", arman "to pity", bauan "to dwell", fastan "to fast, hold firm", fijan "to hate", ga-geigan "to gain", ga-kunnan "to recognize", haban "to have", hatan "to hate", jiukan "to contend", leikan "to please", liban "to live", liugan "to marry", maúrnan "to mourn", munan "to consider", reiran "to tremble", saúrgan "to sorrow", sifan "to rejoice", skaman (sik) "to be ashamed", slawan "to be silent", trauan "to trust", swēran "to honour", þahan "to be silent", witan "to watch, observe". Possibly also *bnauan "to rub" belongs here—only the present participle occurs, which is not enough to tell whether this is a Class III weak verb or Class VII strong verb.
Notes:
- bauan "to dwell" was originally a Class VII strong verb (cf. Old Icelandic būa "to dwell", past singular bjō, past participle būenn), and the third singular present indicative is still normally bauiþ, a strong form (vs. *bauáiþ, the expected weak form).
- hatan also occurs as a Class I weak verb hatjan.
Class IV Verbs
The following is a sample paradigm of a class IV weak verb, fullnan "to become full".
| Indicative | Optative | Imperative | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Passive | Active | Passive | Active | ||
| Present | 1st sing | fullna | fullnada | fullnáu | fullnáidáu | — |
| 2nd sing | fullnis | fullnaza | fullnáis | fullnáizáu | fulln | |
| 3rd sing | fullniþ | fullnada | fullnái | fullnáidáu | fullnadáu | |
| 1st dual | fullnōs | — | fullnáiwa | — | — | |
| 2nd dual | fullnats | — | fullnáits | fullnats | fullnats | |
| 1st plur | fullnam | fullnanda | fullnáima | fullnáindáu | fullnam | |
| 2nd plur | fullniþ | fullnanda | fullnáiþ | fullnáindáu | fullniþ | |
| 3rd plur | fullnand | fullnanda | fullnáina | fullnáindáu | fullnandáu | |
| Past | 1st sing | fullnōda | — | fullnōdēdjáu | — | — |
| 2nd sing | fullnōdēs | fullnōdēdeis | ||||
| 3rd sing | fullnōda | fullnōdēdi | ||||
| 1st dual | fullnōdēdu | fullnōdēdeiwa | ||||
| 2nd dual | fullnōdēduts | fullnōdēdeits | ||||
| 1st plur | fullnōdēdum | fullnōdēdeima | ||||
| 2nd plur | fullnōdēduþ | fullnōdēdeiþ | ||||
| 3rd plur | fullnōdēdun | fullnōdēdeina | ||||
| Infinitive | fullnan | |||||
| Past Participle | fullnōþs | |||||
Preterite-present verbs
So-called "preterite-present verbs" are a feature of Germanic languages that have a present tense formed like the past tense (or "preterite") of strong verbs. The verbs often have the semantics of modal verbs, and in fact the present-day English modal verbs "can, could, may, might, shall, should, must" are descended from Old English preterite-present verbs. The past tense of these verbs is a new formation and has the endings of weak verbs. Arguably, all seven classes of strong verbs are represented in Gothic by at least one preterite-present verb.
The following table presents substantially all extant forms of each of the existing preterite-present verbs in Gothic. In some cases, extant forms are not given when another closely related extant form appears. For example, third plural present indicative skulun is doubtless extant, but is not given because it is easily derivable from the extant first plural form skulum. Note that many of the missing forms can be derived from existing forms as the number of principal parts is small—in fact, three is usually enough: First/third person singular present indicative, first (or third) person plural present indicative, first/third person singular past indicative. However, occasional small irregularities may occur, and the table below errs on the side of under-generalization.
The forms given are:
- Infinitive.
- Present indicative first/third singular (the two forms are always the same),
- Present indicative second singular.
- Present indicative dual. Whichever forms are extant are given.
- Present indicative first plural. Other extant plural forms are subsumed under this category. When starred (i.e. indicated as hypothetical), this generally indicates that only the third plural form is extant.
- Present subjunctive first singular. Other extant forms are subsumed under this category.
- Past indicative first/third sunglar. Other extant forms are subsumed under this category.
- Past subjunctive first singular. Other extant forms are subsumed under this category.
- Imperative. Whichever forms are extant are given.
- Present Participle. Note that it is easily derivable from the infinitive.
- Past Participle. Note that it is easily derivable from the past tense stem. Note also that a gloss is given since the participle often has an unpredictable meaning, especially when the verb in question is inherently intransitive. In some cases a past participle is given without a gloss; this omission goes back to the source (Joseph Wright's Grammar of the Gothic Language) used to compile the table.
| Class | Infinitive | Gloss | Pres 1/3sg | Pres 2sg | Pres dual | Pres 1pl | Pres subj | Past 1/3sg | Past subj | Imperative | Pres part | Past part | Past part gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | *witan | "to know" | wáit | wáist | witum | witjáu | wissa | wissēdjáu | witands | ||||
| "to know" | láis | ||||||||||||
| II | "to be good for, to profit" | dáug | |||||||||||
| III | kunnan | "to know" | kann | kant, kannt | kunnum | kunþa | kunþēdjáu | kunnands | kunþs | "known" | |||
| *þaúrban | "to need" | þarf | þarft | þaúrbum | þaúrbjáu | þaúrfta | þaúrbands | þaúrfts | "necessary" | ||||
| ga-daúrsan | "to dare" | ga-dars | ga-daúrsum | ga-daúrsjáu | ga-daúrsta | ||||||||
| IV | *skulan | "shall, to owe" | skal | skalt | skulum | skuljáu | skulda | skuldēdjáu | skulands | skulds | "owing, lawful" | ||
| munan | "to think" | man | munum | munjáu | munda | munands | munds | ||||||
| *bi-naúhan | "to be permitted, lawful" | bi-nah | bi-naúhts | "sufficient" | |||||||||
| *ga-naúhan | "to suffice" | ga-nah | |||||||||||
| V | *magan | "can, may" | mag | magt (*maht) | 1du magu; 2du maguts | magum | magjáu | mahta | mahtēdjáu | magands | mahts | ||
| VI | *ga-mōtan | "to find room" | ga-mōt | *ga-mōtum | ga-mōtjáu | ga-mōsta | |||||||
| *ōgan | "to fear" | ōg | *ōgum | ōgjáu | ōhta | 2sg ōgs; 2pl ōgeiþ | (un-agands "fearless") | ||||||
| VII | *áihan (faír-áihan "to partake of") | "to have" | áih, áig | áigum, áihum; 2pl áihuþ; 3pl áigun | 3sg áigi; 2pl áigeiþ; 3pl áigeina | áihta; 3pl áihtēdun | 2sg áihtēdeis | áigands, áihands |
Irregular verbs
wisan, "to be"
This highly irregular verb derives from two different Proto-Indo-European roots by suppletion; see Indo-European copula for more.
| Indicative | Optative | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Active | ||
| Present | 1st sing | im | sijáu |
| 2nd sing | is | sijáis | |
| 3rd sing | ist | sijái | |
| 1st dual | siju | *sijáiwa | |
| 2nd dual | *sijuts | *sijáits | |
| 1st plur | sijum | sijáima | |
| 2nd plur | sijuþ | sijáiþ | |
| 3rd plur | sind | sijáina | |
| Past | 1st sing | was | wēsjáu |
| 2nd sing | wast | wēseis | |
| 3rd sing | was | wēsi | |
| 1st dual | wēsu | wēseiwa | |
| 2nd dual | wēsuts | wēseits | |
| 1st plur | wēsum | wēseima | |
| 2nd plur | wēsuþ | wēseiþ | |
| 3rd plur | wēsun | wēseina | |
| Infinitive | wisan | ||
| Past Participle | wisans | ||
wiljan, "to want/will"
This irregular verb derives from the fossilized optative mood of a Proto-Indo-European verb (not to be confused with the Gothic mood known as optative, which corresponds to the subjunctive mood of PIE and other Germanic languages).
| Indicative | Optative | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Active | ||
| Present | 1st sing | wiljáu | — |
| 2nd sing | wiljáis | ||
| 3rd sing | wiljái | ||
| 1st dual | wiljáiwa | ||
| 2nd dual | wiljáits | ||
| 1st plur | wiljáima | ||
| 2nd plur | wiljáiþ | ||
| 3rd plur | wiljáina | ||
| Past | 1st sing | wilda | wildēdjáu |
| 2nd sing | wildēs | wildēdeis | |
| 3rd sing | wilda | wildēdi | |
| 1st dual | wildēdu | wildēdeiwa | |
| 2nd dual | wildēduts | wildēdeits | |
| 1st plur | wildēdum | wildēdeima | |
| 2nd plur | wildēduþ | wildēdeiþ | |
| 3rd plur | wildēdun | wildēdeina | |
| Infinitive | wiljan | ||
| Past Participle | — | ||
References
- Bennett, William Holmes (1980). An Introduction to the Gothic Language. New York: Modern Language Association of America.
- Wright, Joseph (1910). Grammar of the Gothic Language. Oxford: Clarendon Press.