Luthic: Difference between revisions

The name of the Luths is hugely linked to the name of the Goths, itself one of the most discussed topics in Germanic philology. The [[w:Endonym and exonym|autonym]] is attested as [[wikt:𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰|𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰]] (''gutþiuda'') (the status of this word as a Gothic autonym prior to the [[w:Ostrogoths|Ostrogothic]] period is disputed) on the Gothic calendar (in the [[w:Codices Ambrosiani|''Codex Ambrosianus A'']]): ''þize ana gutþiudai managaize marwtre jah friþareikeikeis''. However, on the basis of parallel formations in Germanic ([[wikt:Svíþjóð#Old_Norse|''svíþjóð'']]; [[wikt:Angelþeod#Old_English|''angelþēod'']]) and non-Germanic (Old Irish ''cruithen-tuath'') indicates that it means “land of the Goths, ''Gothia''”, instead of a more literal translation “Gothpeople”. The first element however may be also the same element attested on the [[w:Ring of Pietrossa|Ring of Pietrossa]] ᚷᚢᛏᚨᚾᛁ (''gutanī''). Roman authors of late antiquity did not classify the Goths as ''Germani''. While the [[w:Gutones|Gutones]], the Pomeranian precursors of the Goths, and the ''Vandili'', the Silesian ancestors of the Vandals, were still considered part of Tacitean Germania, the later Goths, Vandals, and other East Germanic tribes were differentiated from the Germans and were referred to as [[w:Scythians|Scythians]], Goths, or some other special names. The sole exception are the Burgundians, who were considered German because they came to [[w:Gaul|Gaul]] via Germania. In keeping with this classification, post-Tacitean Scandinavians were also no longer counted among the Germans, even though they were regarded as close relatives. The word for Luthic is first attested as 𐌻𐌿𐌸𐌹𐌺𐍃 (''luþiks'') on the ''Codex Luthicus'', named after so. The name was probably first recorded via [[w:Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman]] writers, as *''Luthae'', a formation similar to [[w:Getae|''Getae'']], itself derived from [[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/leuhtą|*''leuhtą'']]. Ultimately meaning ''the lighters''.  𐌻𐌿𐌸𐌹𐌺𐍃 is probably a corruption *''leuhtą'', *''leuthą'', *''Luthae'', influenced by [[wikt:gothus#Latin|''gothus'']], then reborrowed via a Germanic language, where *''-th-'' > ''-þ-''.

** [[IPA for Luthic|/ɡʷ/]] only happens before a nasal and is spelled as ggu [[w:Labialization|/ŋɡʷ/]], or inherited from Gothic ''-ggw-'' as a regular outcome of [[w:Proto-Germanic language|Germanic]] ''*ww'': [[wikt:𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐍃|𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐍃]] [[wikt:AP:pron:got|[triɡʷːs]]], ''tregguo'' [ˈtrɛɡ.ɡʷu]. The spelling gg stands for both /ŋɡ/ and /dd͡ʒ/, making it further confunsing.

This is the source of such alterations as modern Standard Luthic ''fimfe'' [[IPA for Luthic|[ˈfĩ.ɸe]]] “five”, ''monþu'' [[IPA for Luthic|[ˈmõ.θu]]] “mouth” versus Gothic [[wikt:𐍆𐌹𐌼𐍆|𐍆𐌹𐌼𐍆]] [[wikt:AP:pron:got|[ˈɸimɸ]]] “''id.''”, [[wikt:𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌸𐍃|𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌸𐍃]] [[wikt:AP:pron:got|[ˈmunθs]]] “''id.''” and German [[wikt:fünf|fünf]] [[wikt:AP:pron:de|[fʏnf]]] “''id.''”, [[wikt:Mund|Mund]] [[wikt:AP:pron:de|[mʊnt]]] “''id.''”.

The diphthongs au, ae and oe [[wikt:AP:pron:la|[au̯, ae̯, oe̯]]] were monophthongized (smoothed) to [ɔ, ɛ, e] by Gothic influence, as the Germanic diphthongs /ai/ and /au/ appear as digraphs written ⟨ai⟩ and ⟨au⟩ in Gothic. Researchers have disagreed over whether they were still pronounced as diphthongs /ai̯/ and /au̯/ in Ulfilas' time (4th century) or had become long open-mid vowels: /ɛː/ and /ɔː/: [[wikt:𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃|𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃]] (''ains'') [[wikt:AP:pron:got|[ains]]] / [[wikt:AP:pron:got|[ɛːns]]] “one” (German [[wikt:eins|''eins'']], Icelandic [[wikt:einn|''einn'']]), [[wikt:𐌰𐌿𐌲𐍉|𐌰𐌿𐌲𐍉]] (''augō'') [[wikt:AP:pron:got|[auɣoː]]] / [[wikt:AP:pron:got|[ɔːɣoː]]] “eye” (German [[wikt:Auge|''Auge'']], Icelandic [[wikt:auga|''auga'']]). It is most likely that the latter view is correct, as it is indisputable that the digraphs ⟨ai⟩ and ⟨au⟩ represent the sounds /ɛː/ and /ɔː/ in some circumstances (see below), and ⟨aj⟩ and ⟨aw⟩ were available to unambiguously represent the sounds /ai̯/ and /au̯/. The digraph ⟨aw⟩ is in fact used to represent /au/ in foreign words (such as [[wikt:𐍀𐌰𐍅𐌻𐌿𐍃|𐍀𐌰𐍅𐌻𐌿𐍃]] (''Pawlus'') “Paul”), and alternations between ⟨ai⟩/⟨aj⟩ and ⟨au⟩/⟨aw⟩ are scrupulously maintained in paradigms where both variants occur (e.g. [[wikt:𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽|𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽]] (''taujan'') “to do” vs. [[w:Past tense|past tense]] [[wikt:𐍄𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌰|𐍄𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌰]] (''tawida'') “did”). Evidence from transcriptions of Gothic names into Latin suggests that the sound change had occurred very recently when Gothic spelling was standardised: Gothic names with Germanic au are rendered with au in Latin until the 4th century and o later on (''Austrogoti'' > ''Ostrogoti'').