Adjectives | |||
strong | weak a-stems | ||
Each Gothic adjective belongs to one of a number of declensions named after the stem vowel in Proto-Germanic. Each adjective can be declined "strong" or "weak", depending on context. The weak forms are always used when the adjective is an attribute of a noun that is also modified by the demonstrative pronoun (definite article) sa, so, þata ("the/that good tree"). In addition, the weak forms of adjectives are used with nouns in the vocative case, and occasionally also with definite nouns that have no article: in balwein áiweinon "into everlasting torment"; at faírgunja alewjin "at the Mount of Olives". Adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in number (singular or plural), gender (masculine, feminine or neuter) and case (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative). Adjectives agree with their nouns both when used attributively, "the good tree", and predicatively "the tree is good". Neuter nouns have two variants in the nominative and accusative singular. Attributive adjectives may take either ending; but the forms with -ata never appear when the adjective is used predicatively. | |||