Gothic is an extinct East Germanic language that was spoken in parts of the Crimea until the 17th century. It was originally written with a runic alphabet about which little is known. One theory of the origins of Runes is that they were invented by the Goths, but this is impossible to prove as very few inscriptions of writing in Gothic runes survive.
The Gothic alphabet was invented around middle the 4th century AD by Bishop Wulfila (311-383 AD), the religious leader of the Visigoths, to provide his people with a written language and a means of reading his translation of the Bible. It is based on the Greek alphabet, with some extra letters from the Latin and Runic alphabets.
The Goths were divided into two main tribes: the Ostrogothi or Greutungi (dune-dwellers) and the Visigothi or Tervingi (steppe-dwellers). Related tribes included the Burgundians and the Vandals.
A number of texts have been translated into Gothic, including Alice in Wonderland and Overvloed, a Dutch poem by Bert Bevers. There are also a few new orginial texts in Gothic, including Bagme Bloma (Flower of the Trees) by J.R.R. Tolkein.
Download a Gothic alphabet chart (Excel)
There are no separate numerals, but each letter has a numeric value.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_language
Hear a recording of this text by JKDebate
Allái manna freihals jah samaleikō in waírþidái jah raíhteis waúrþans. Fraþei jah miþwissei gibnans jah libandau swē broþrjus.
Translation by Roel. Other additions and corrections by Michael Peter Füstumum, Steve Porter and JKDebate
Hear a recording of this text by Jabnaki
Note: the pronunciation of Gothic has been reconstructed but there is some debate about how certain sounds are pronounced.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Information about Gothic | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Gothic books
Information about Gothic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_language
http://www.wulfila.be/gothic/gotica/
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/gotol-0-X.html
https://gothic-lang.github.io/
Online Gothic lessons
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/gotol-0-X.html
http://ling.everywitchway.net/germanic/east/gothic/gothic-for-goths
https://inthewulfilantongue.wordpress.com/
http://learngothic.blogspot.nl/?m=1
Online Gothic dictionary
http://www.freelang.net/online/gothic.php
Gothic Grammar
http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/goth_wright_about.html
http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/texts/goth_wright_about.html
Project Wulfila - digital library of texts in Gothic and other Old Germanic languages
http://www.wulfila.be/
Gothic phrases
https://web.archive.org/web/20140622065727/http://besieda.in.ua/materialy/gotskiy-gothic
Gothic fonts
http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_Gothic.html
Online Gothic news
http://airushimmadaga.wordpress.com
Music in Gothic
http://runaleiks.bandcamp.com/
Gothic on Discord
https://discordapp.com/invite/QXcXZ93
https://discord.gg/gwHjk9h6yp
ALPHABETUM - a Unicode font
for ancient scripts, including Classical & Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek, Etruscan, Oscan, Umbrian, Faliscan, Messapic, Picene, Iberian, Celtiberian, Gothic, Runic, Old & Middle English, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Old Nordic, Ogham, Kharosthi, Glagolitic, Anatolian scripts, Phoenician, Brahmi, Imperial Aramaic, Old Turkic, Old Permic, Ugaritic, Linear B, Phaistos Disc, Meroitic, Coptic, Cypriot and Avestan.
https://www.typofonts.com/alphabetum.html
Information about other East and Ancient Germanic languages
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Page last modified: 12.12.24
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