𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐍃

From Proto-Germanic *gaburþiz. In the Gothic Bible translated by Ulfilas, the Greek word γένεσις (génesis), meaning birth or origin, is rendered as 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐍃 (gabaurþs). This Gothic term derives from *𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐍃 (*baurþs) (“bearing, carrying pregnancy, birth”) with the prefix ga- intensifying the sense, and it accurately conveys the idea of generation or birth.

𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐍃 • (gabaurþs) f

1. birth, genesis
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 1.14:^[1]

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐌿𐍃 𐍆𐌰𐌷𐌴𐌳𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐌲𐌽𐌹𐌸𐌰, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌹 𐌹𐌽 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌹 𐌹𐍃 𐍆𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌽𐌳..

     jah wairþiþ þus fahēds jah swēgniþa, jah managai in gabaurþai is faginōnd..

     And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. (KJV).

In Luke 1:14, Ulfilas shows his consistent strategy of preserving the semantic nuance of “birth” or “coming into existence” in Gothic, so that the passage reads that many will rejoice “at his gabaurþs,” faithfully reflecting the Greek idea of rejoicing at John’s birth.

• 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳 (gabaurþiwaurd)