3.3. Inflections
Many Gothic names from 6th-century Italy are not inflected at all, as for
example the masculine forms Beremud, Du merit, Hosbut, Riccitanc, Uiliaric,
etc. When inflected, in Latin texts they are usually adapted to Latin
declensions in the following way: masculine compounds normally follow
either the second (Eutharicus, Aligerno, Gudinando) or the third Latin declen¬
sion (Sigismerem, Vithimiris). Gothic monothematic and hypocoristic mascu¬
line forms ending in -a tend to be inflected according to the first Latin declen¬
sion, especially in Cassiodorus (Alla, Annae, Bledam, Dudae, Soria, Teia, -ae,
IViliae, etc.). But Gothic weak forms follow the third Latin declension often
preserving -an- as in Armanis, Mannane, Oppane, Quidilanem, Tancane,
Tatanem, Verani, Costila, -ilanis, Sindila, Sinthilanis. Less frequently a few
more Latinized forms appear, ending in -o, -onis (especially in the texts of
Ennodius) like Boioni, Faffone, Tremonem. In some cases, especially in the
Latin of Cassiodorus, Goth, weak stems show unusual Latin endings that may
reflect the original Gothic declension: gen. Cessinis, Mazenis, Patzenis, acc.
Waccenem (Cassidorus)/0 This adaptation to nasal stems takes place only in
Latin, never in Greek. We must further note that among masculine names the
weak declension is never used for full compounded forms (so we have for
example Aliconi on one side, but Sunie-fridus on the other). It should be noted
that the name forms present in Cassiodorus’ texts may reflect his close links
with the royal court of Ravenna, and, in general, that Latin seems to reproduce
Ostrogothic forms and inflections more faithfully than Greek.
Feminine personal names may still show the old Gothic ending -o (as in
Giso, Ostrogotho, Thiudigotho)-, and diminutive names formed with the Goth,
fern. Suffix -ilo are always inflected as nasal stems in the Latin third declen¬
sion: Ran Hone, -onis, Sift lone, Thulgilo, -onis, -onem, -une (in Greek letters
©oppiAaovai abl., see § 4. below). Compounded feminine names most often
enter the first Latin declension: Gomoverda, Hildevara, Ranihildae, etc.
Sometimes Germc. *-jo stems (> Goth. -/') keep the original ending, as in
Gundihildi, not following any Latin inflection.
that like unkjane is not recorded elsewhere; it seems to be a late borrowing from
Italy’s Latin, showing the affrication of Lat. -ti- > Late-Lat. [-tsj-]; see note 41. In
the Arezzo deed (Tjader f8) there is also a unique Gothic loan-translation:
frabauhtaboka, modelled on Lat. charta venditionis.
" Gothic masc. weak stems had the following endings: nom -a, gen. -ins, dat. -in, acc.
-an. Remarkably, their adaptation to this particular inflectional pattern (-inis, -enis,
-enem) is found only in the Latin of Cassiodorus and in one papyrus document
(Cessinis in Tjader P43, Ravenna a. 542), and in no other text.
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