§ [121]. In Gothic, as in all other Germanic languages, adjectivs hav two kinds of inflection, the strong and the weak. The strong inflection is the original one corresponding to that of the cognate languages, the weak originated on Germanic soil. Every normal adj. may hav both a strong and a weak inflection. The distinction is a syntactic one: the weak form is employd after the articl (rarely in other positions), the strong form in all other cases, especially when the adj. is uzed predicativly, or attributivly without the articl. Cp. Zs. fda., 18, 17-43.
A. STRONG ADJECTIVS.
§ [122]. The strong inflection of adjectivs is in part the same as the vocalic (or strong) inflection of the substantivs with which it was originally identical. In Germanic, however, sum cases of the adj. hav adopted the pronominal inflection, so that the identity between the adjectival inflection and that of the substantivs is now confined to certain cases. The nom. and acc. sg. of the neuter gender hav two forms of the same value, a substantival and a pronominal one (in -ata). The latter, however, is not uzed predicativly.
The Gothic adjectiv, like the substantiv, has three vocalic declensions: (1) Adjectivs of the a-declension which correspond to the substantival a-declension in the m. and n. ([§ 89] et seq.) and in the f. of the ô-declension ([§ 96] et seq.).—A subdivision is formd by the ja-stems, just as in the case of the corresponding substantivs. (2) Adjectivs of the i-declension which correspond to the substantivs in [§§ 99]-103. (3) Adjectivs of the u-declension belonging to the substantivs in [§§ 104]-106.
Classes (2) and (3), however, contain but very few remains in Gothic. The few adjectival ja-stems hav in most of the inflectional cases past over to the 1st class, so that the normal strong declension of the adjectivs in Gothic embraces only the a-declension and its subdivision, the ja-stems.
Note. Subject to strong inflection ar all pronouns (except sama and silba, [§ 132], n. 3), the cardinal numbers, inasmuch as they inflect adjectivly, and anþar, the second; also the adjectivs of a more general meaning: alls, all; ganôhs, enuf; halbs, half; midjis, 'medius'; fulls, ful.
§ [123]. Paradim of the strong adjectival declension: blinds, blind. The pronominal forms differing from the inflection of the corresponding substantivs ar in the following paradim put in Italics:
| Sing. | M. | N. | F. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. | blinds | blind, blindata | blinda | |
| G. | blindis | blindaizôs | ||
| D. | blindamma | blindai | ||
| A. | blindana | blind, blindata | blinda | |
| Plur. | ||||
| N. | blindai | blinda | blindôs | |
| G. | blindaizê | blindaizôs | ||
| D. | blindaim | blindaim | ||
| A. | blindans | blinda | blindôs | |
§ [124]. Here belong most of the extant adjectivs; e. g., hails, hole, helthy; siuks, sik; juggs, yung; triggws, tru, faithful; swinþs, strong; ubils, evil; aiweins, eternal; haiþiwisks, wild; mahteigs, mighty; ansteigs, gracious; manags, much, many; môdags, angry; handugs, wise.—Also adjectiv pronouns; as, meins, mine, my; þeins, thine, thy; seins, his; jains, yun; the superlativs ([§ 137]) and pps. pass.; as, numans, taken; nasiþs, saved (cp. [§ 134]).