𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃

Gothic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wiːxs/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *wīhaz.

Adjective

𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 • (weihs)

1. holy, sacred

   Antonym: 𐌿𐍃𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (usweihs)

Usage notes

• The exact semantic differences between 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (weihs) and the far rarer 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌽𐍃 (airkns) and 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌲𐍃 (hailags) are unclear. The latter two however are only attested once, whereas weihs is one of the best-attested words of the Gothic language. Airkns (directly attested in the Ostrogothic sermon recorded in the Gothica Bononiensia) is only found in the Gothic Bible in affixed form (and then rarely) with an apparent meaning leaning towards sincerity (especially sincerity of faith), and hailags is only found in a difficult-to-interpret early runic inscription from an apparently pagan context.
• When substantivized, the word could be used to mean 'saint' (as at Ephesians 3:8).

Declension

A-stem
Strong (indefinite) inflection
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 weihs	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰 weiha	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷, 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐍄𐌰 weih, weihata
Accusative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌰 weihana	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰 weiha	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷, 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐍄𐌰 weih, weihata
Genitive	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌹𐍃 weihis	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌶𐍉𐍃 weihaizōs	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌹𐍃 weihis
Dative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 weihamma	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹 weihai	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 weihamma
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹 weihai	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐍃 weihōs	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰 weiha
Accusative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽𐍃 weihans	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐍃 weihōs	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰 weiha
Genitive	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌶𐌴 weihaizē	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌶𐍉 weihaizō	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌶𐌴 weihaizē
Dative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌼 weihaim	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌼 weihaim	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌼 weihaim
Weak (definite) inflection
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰 weiha	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉 weihō	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉 weihō
Accusative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 weihan	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽 weihōn	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉 weihō
Genitive	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌹𐌽𐍃 weihins	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽𐍃 weihōns	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌹𐌽𐍃 weihins
Dative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌹𐌽 weihin	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽 weihōn	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌹𐌽 weihin
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽𐍃 weihans	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽𐍃 weihōns	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽𐌰 weihōna
Accusative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽𐍃 weihans	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽𐍃 weihōns	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽𐌰 weihōna
Genitive	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌴 weihanē	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽𐍉 weihōnō	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌴 weihanē
Dative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌼 weiham	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌼 weihōm	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌼 weiham

Derived terms

• 𐌿𐍃𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (usweihs, “profane”)
• 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰 (weihaba, “holily”)
• 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌽𐌰𐌽 (weihnan, “to become holy”)

Related terms

• 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰 (weiha, “priest”)
• 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 (weihan, “to hallow, consecrate”)
• 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌹𐌸𐌰 (weihiþa, “holiness”)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *wīhsą, from Proto-Indo-European *weyḱ- (“house, settlement”). Cognates include Sanskrit विश् (viś, “village, settlement, tribe”), वेशः (veśáḥ, “inhabitant, neighbor”), Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos), dialectal ϝοῖκος (woîkos, “house, dwelling, fence, cage”), Latin vīcus (“group of houses, village”).

Noun

𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 • (weihs) n

1. village
   • 4th century C.E., Wulfila (attributed), Gothic Bible, Mark 8:26:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌹𐌽𐍃𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌽𐌰 𐌳𐌿 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐍃 𐌵𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃: 𐌽𐌹 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍃, 𐌽𐌹 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌷𐌿𐌽 𐌵𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍅𐌴𐌷𐍃𐌰.

     jah insandida ina du garda is qiþands: ni in þata weihs gaggais, ni mannhun qiþais in þamma wēhsa.

     And he sent him away to his house, saying: do not go into the village, nor tell it to anyone in the village.

2. countryside

Declension

A variant spelling 𐍅𐌴𐌷𐍃𐌰 (wēhsa) is attested.

Neuter a-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 weihs	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃𐌰 weihsa
Vocative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 weihs	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃𐌰 weihsa
Accusative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 weihs	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃𐌰 weihsa
Genitive	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃𐌹𐍃 weihsis	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃𐌴 weihsē
Dative	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃𐌰 weihsa	𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃𐌰𐌼 weihsam