GOTHIC WORD ORDER PATTERNS AS ATTESTED IN THE GOTHIC GOSPEL OF LUKE

Gothic is the oldest attested Germanic language that possesses features similar to Proto-Germanic i.e., the parent language of all contemporary Germanic languages. The grammar of the Gothic language not only comprises distinctive features of native origin, but also contains peculiarities inherited from Proto-Germanic as well as traces of non-Germanic impacts. The peculiar nature of Gothic grammar reveals itself in Gothic syntax, and notably in the order of words. The article aims at defining word order patterns in The Gothic Gospel of Luke, Chapter 4 with special reference to word order in a phrase and sentence. Firstly, word order in Gothic phrases is considered, and the most recurrent word order patterns in noun and verb phrases found in Luke 4 are defined. Secondly, word order patterns and peculiar features of simple sentences and principal clauses are discussed. Finally, the article comments upon the choice of word order in those types of subordinate clauses that are represented in the chapter of Luke selected for the analysis as well as compares word order in principal and subordinate clauses. All comments on Gothic word order and syntactic features are provided with examples from Luke 4. The analysis of Gothic word order patterns is performed by fusing two research methods i.e., descriptive and analytic. Being the only attested East Germanic language, Gothic has a great linguistic value. Therefore, the study of Gothic word order and syntax is of great significance for the reconstruction of Proto-Germanic, for understanding word order patterns in other Germanic languages as well as for identifying common Germanic features. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7220/2335-2027.3.6