Language/Gothic/Vocabulary/How-to-Say-Hello

Gothic is an ancient language spoken by the Goths, an East Germanic people who inhabited Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the Black Sea region. Although Gothic is now an extinct language, it has left behind an impressive linguistic legacy.

In Gothic, there are different ways to greet someone depending on the situation and the person being greeted. The first and less common way is to say "Fagino," which roughly translates to "I'm glad to see you." This greeting is still used in some modern Germanic languages, such as German and Dutch.

The most common way to greet someone in Gothic is to use the adjective "hails," which means "be healthy." This greeting depends on the gender and number of the people being greeted. For example, if you greet a man, you would say "hails." If you greet a woman, you would say "haila." If you greet a group of men, you would say "hailai," a group of women "hailos," and a mixed group "haila."

Another way to greet someone in Gothic is by saying "I greet you," which translates to "golja þuk" for one person, "golja igqis" for two people, and "golja izwis" for more than two people. This is a more formal and respectful way of greeting someone and is still used in some formal settings in modern Germanic languages.

Although Gothic is an extinct language, it has influenced many modern Germanic languages, including English. Many English words have Gothic roots, such as "guest" (gasts), "year" (jēr), and "daughter" (daúhtar).

In conclusion, the Gothic language has left behind a rich linguistic legacy, including unique ways of greeting someone. While Gothic is no longer spoken, it still lives on in the words we use today.

Other Lessons

• Greetings
• How to Say Hello and Greetings