𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿

Gothic

Alternative forms

• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍉 (faihō)

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fehu (“livestock”), from Proto-Indo-European *péḱu (“livestock”). Cognate to Old English feoh (“livestock, property, money”) and Old Norse fé (“livestock, wealth, money”), and Latin pecū (“livestock”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛ.hu/

Noun

𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 • (faihu) n

1. property, possessions
   • 4th century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 10.22:

     𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌽𐌹𐍀𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐍃 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍃; 𐍅𐌰𐍃 𐌰𐌿𐌺 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲.

     iþ is gahnipnands in þis waurdis galaiþ gaurs; was auk habands faihu manag.

     And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. (KJV).

2. wealth, riches
   • 4th century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 10.23:

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌱𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌹𐌴𐍃𐌿𐍃 𐌵𐌰𐌸 𐍃𐌹𐍀𐍉𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌼 𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌹𐌼: 𐍃𐌰𐌹, 𐍈𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰 𐌰𐌲𐌻𐌿𐌱𐌰 𐌸𐌰𐌹 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍉 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳.

     jah bisaiƕands iēsus qaþ sipōnjam seinaim: sai, ƕaiwa agluba þai faihō gahabandans in þiudangardja gudis gaeiþand.

     And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! (KJV).

3. money

   Synonym: 𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌱𐍂 (silubr)

   • 4th century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 14.11:

     𐌹𐌸 𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌿𐌼 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍄𐌿𐌽 𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 𐌲𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽; 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍃𐍉𐌺𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐍈𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌱𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌹.

     iþ eis gahausjandans faginōdēdum jah gahaihaitun imma faihu giban; jah sōkida ƕaiwa gatilaba in galēwidēdi.

     And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. (KJV).

Declension

Neuter u-stem
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 faihu	—
Vocative	𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 faihu	—
Accusative	𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 faihu	—
Genitive	𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃 faihaus	—
Dative	𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌿 faihau	—

Derived terms

• 𐌱𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽 (bifaihōn)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐌴𐌹 (faihugairnei)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍃 (faihugairns)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌺𐌹 (faihugawaurki)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (faihugeigan)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌲𐌴𐌹𐍂𐍉 (faihugeirō)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌽𐌰 (faihuþraihna)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰 (faihuskula)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹 (faihufrikei)
• 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃 (faihufriks)

 

Related terms

• 𐌱𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽 (bifaihōn)
• 𐌲𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽 (gafaihōn)

 

Further reading

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “F7. faihu”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 102
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 31
• Miller, D. Gary (2019) The Oxford Gothic Grammar, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, pages 21-22