Wikipedia:Starters course

Welcome to this starters course which will teach you the basics of Gothic in mini-lessons.

Lesson 1

Three important verb declensions of to be (in lesson 3 we'll learn them all)

• I am - ik im
• he/she is - is/si ist
• they are - eis/ija sind

• I want - ik wiljau
• he/she wants - is/si wili
• they want - wileina

Vocabulary:

• to go - gaggan
• Alaric - Alareiks
• Wanda - Wanda

Translate:

1. I am Alaric
2. He is Alaric
3. They want to go
4. He wants to go
5. She is Wanda

Corrections:

1. Ik im Alareiks
2. Is ist Alareiks
3. Eis/ija wileina gaggan
4. Is wili gaggan
5. Si ist Wanda

Lesson 2

The three nominative singular declensions of this:

• sa - masculine
• thata - neuter
• so - feminine

The masculine a-stem

Declension	Singular	Plural
Nominative	dags	dagos
Genitive	dagis	dage
Dative	daga	dagam
Accusative	dag	dagans
Vocative	dag	-

So:

• the day - dags
• of the day - dagis
• to the day - daga
• the day - dag
• o day! - dag

As you can see, you can decline m. A words by removing the final s and adding the appropriate ending. In words with -fs the f changes to b in the sing. Gen and Dat and all plural forms.

In Gothic the definite article the is often left out, but you use it after a noun is used for the first time.

Vocabulary:

• servant - skalks (m. A)
• day - dags (m. A)
• way (a road) - wigs (m. A)
• wind - winds (m. A)
• leaf - laufs (m. A)
• and - jah
• to - du + dative
• is - ist
• on - ana + dative
• in - in + dative (being in a place), in + accusative (moving to a place)
• west - *wistrs (m. A)

Translate:

• 1. The servant is on the road
• 2. The wind and the day
• 3. The leaves in the wind
• 4. The leaf of the wind
• 5. In the west is the road of the servant.

Corrections:

• 1. Skalks ist ana wiga.
• 2. Winds jah dags.
• 3. Laubos in winda.
• 4. Laufs windis.
• 5. In wistra ist wigs skalkis.

Lesson 3

The present tense of the verb to be is wisan, which can be used both for the present tense as for the future, so it also means "will be".

• I am - ik im
• you are - Þu is
• he/she/it is - is/si/ita ist
• we are - weis sijum
• you are (plural) - jus sijuþ
• they are - eis/ija sind

Gothic also has dual forms, this is for two persons, they are:

• we are - wit siju
• you are - jut sijuts

The personal pronoun (I, you, he etc.) in Gothic is only used in comparisons and emphasis.

The definite article the is used after a noun is used for the first time.

Vocabulary:

• helmet - hilms (m. A)
• king - þiudans (m. A)
• palace - rohsns (m. A)
• here - her
• there - jainar
• there is - ist
• isn't - nist
• no(t) - ni
• today - himma daga
• tomorrow - gistradagis
• where - hwar (interrogative)
• but - ith
• the - sa (masculine singular)
• with - mith + dative

Translate:

• 1. We are the servants of the king. (More than 2, so translate with weis)
• 2. Where is the palace of the king?
• 3. The palace isn't here, but there.
• 4. The servant with the helmet is on the road.
• 5. O servant! I 'm the king and he isn't.

Corrections:

• 1. Weis sijum skalkos thiudanis.
• 2. Hwar ist rohsns thiudanis?
• 3. Rohsns nist her, ith jainar.
• 4. Skalks mith hilma ist ana wiga.
• 5. O skalk! Ik im thiudans jah is nist.

Lesson 4

The neuter a-stem with huzd (treasure)

Declension	Singular	Plural
Nominative	huzd	huzda
Genitive	huzdis	huzde
Dative	huzda	huzdam
Accusative	huzd	huzda
Vocative	huzd	-

The difference between the masculine and neuter a-stem is that the nominative and accusative plural are -a with neuter, instead of -os and -ans, and instead of removing a final -s, you add the declensions after the end. When a word ends with -s in n. A, the s changes to z in the genitive, dative and all plural forms. A final þ changes to d in this situation, except in the word bloþ (blood).

The masculine i-stem with gasts (guest)

Declension	Singular	Plural
Nominative	gasts	gasteis
Genitive	gastis	gaste
Dative	gasta	gastim
Accusative	gast	gastins
Vocative	gast	-

Vocabulary:

• guest - gasts (m. I)
• treasure - huzd (n. A)
• tower - kelikn (n. A)
• land - land (n. A)
• word - waurd (n. A)
• house - razn (n. A)
• law - witoþ (n. A)
• blood - bloþ (n. A)
• bag - balgs (m. I)
• coming - qums (m. I)
• why - duhwe / hwa thatei
• when - hwan
• comes - qimiþ
• against - wiþra + acc
• again - aftra
• this/that - þata
• as - swa
• says - qiþiþ

Translate:

• 1. The treasure is in the palace of the king.
• 2. That is against the law!
• 3. Why is there blood in the bag?
• 4. The servant comes, but the guest isn't there. Is the guest in the tower?
• 5. The guest is again with the servant. He says: Why is there blood in the house?

Corrections:

• 1. Huzd ist in rohsna thiudanis.
• 2. þata ist wiþra witoþ!
• 3. Duhwe ist bloþ in balga? / Hwa þatei ist bloþ in balga?
• 4. Skalks qimiþ, iþ gasts nist jainar. Ist gasts in kelikna?
• 5. Gasts ist aftra miþ skalka. Qiþiþ: Duhwe/Hwa þatei ist bloþ in razna?