Gothic language

==Phonology==
It is possible to determine more or less exactly how the Gothic of Ulfilas was pronounced, primarily through comparative phonetic reconstruction. Furthermore, because Ulfilas tried to follow the original Greek text as much as possible in his translation, it is known that he used the same writing conventions as those of contemporary Greek. Since the Greek of that period is well documented, it is possible to reconstruct much of Gothic pronunciation from translated texts. In addition, the way in which non-Greek names are transcribed in the Greek Bible and in Ulfilas's Bible is very informative.

===Vowels===
{|
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Short vowels
|-
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA|i (y)}}
| {{IPA|u}}
|-
! [[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
|
|
|-
! [[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| {{IPA|ɛ}}
| {{IPA|ɔ}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|a}}
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Long vowels
|-
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA|iː}}
| {{IPA|uː}}
|-
! [[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
| {{IPA|eː}}
| {{IPA|oː}}
|-
! [[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| {{IPA|ɛː}}
| {{IPA|ɔː}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|aː}}
|}
|}

* {{IPA|/a/}}, {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/u/}} can be either long or short.<ref>See also {{Cite book |author-link=Fausto Cercignani |first=Fausto |last=Cercignani |chapter=The Development of the Gothic Vocalic System |title=Germanic Dialects: Linguistic and Philological Investigations |editor1-first=Bela |editor1-last=Brogyanyi |editor2-first=Thomas |editor2-last=Krömmelbein |location=Amsterdam and Philadelphia |publisher=Benjamins |year=1986 |pages=121–151 |isbn=90-272-3526-0 }}</ref> Gothic writing distinguishes between long and short vowels only for {{IPA|/i/}} by writing ''i'' for the short form and ''ei'' for the long (a [[Digraph (orthography)|digraph]] or ''false diphthong''), in an imitation of Greek usage (ει = {{IPA|/iː/}}). Single vowels are sometimes long where a historically present [[nasal stop|nasal consonant]] has been dropped in front of an {{IPA|/h/}} (a case of [[compensatory lengthening]]). Thus, the preterite of the verb ''briggan'' {{IPA|[briŋɡan]}} "to bring" (English ''bring'', Dutch ''brengen'', German ''bringen'') becomes ''brahta'' {{IPA|[braːxta]}} (English ''brought'', Dutch ''bracht'',  German ''brachte''), from [[Proto-Germanic]] *''branhtē''. In detailed [[transliteration]], when the intent is more [[phonetic transcription]], length is noted by a macron (or failing that, often a [[circumflex]]): ''brāhta'', ''brâhta''. This is the only context in which {{IPA|/aː/}} appears natively whereas {{IPA|/uː/}}, like {{IPA|/iː/}}, is found often enough in other contexts: ''brūks'' "useful" (Dutch ''gebruik'', German ''Gebrauch'', Icelandic ''brúk'' "use").
* {{IPA|/eː/}} and {{IPA|/oː/}} are long [[close-mid vowel]]s. They are written as ''e'' and ''o'': ''neƕ'' {{IPA|[neːʍ]}} "near" (English ''nigh'', Dutch ''nader'', German ''nah''); ''fodjan'' {{IPA|[foːdjan]}} "to feed".
* {{IPA|/ɛ/}} and {{IPA|/ɔ/}} are short [[open-mid vowel]]s.<ref>For the Gothic short vowels see also {{Cite journal |first=Fausto |last=Cercignani |title=The Development of the Gothic Short/Lax Subsystem |journal=Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung |volume=93 |issue=2 |year=1979 |pages=272–278 }}</ref> They are noted using the digraphs ''ai'' and ''au'': ''taihun'' {{IPA|[tɛhun]}} "ten" (Dutch ''tien'', German ''zehn'', Icelandic ''tíu''), ''dauhtar'' {{IPA|[dɔxtar]}} "daughter" (Dutch ''dochter'', German ''Tochter'', Icelandic ''dóttir''). In transliterating Gothic, accents are placed on the second vowel of these digraphs ''aí'' and ''aú'' to distinguish them from the original diphthongs ''ái'' and ''áu'': ''taíhun'', ''daúhtar''. In most cases short {{IPA|[ɛ]}} and {{IPA|[ɔ]}} are allophones of {{IPA|/i, u/}} before {{IPA|/r, h, ʍ/}}.<ref>But see  {{Cite journal |first=Fausto |last=Cercignani |title=The Enfants Terribles of Gothic "Breaking": hiri, aiþþau, etc. |journal=The Journal of Indo-European Studies |volume=12 |issue=3–4 |year=1984 |pages=315–344 }}</ref> Furthermore, the reduplication syllable of the reduplicating preterites has ''ai'' as well, which was probably pronounced as a short {{IPA|[ɛ]}}.<ref>See also {{Cite journal |first=Fausto |last=Cercignani |title=The Reduplicating Syllable and Internal Open Juncture in Gothic |journal=Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung |volume=93 |issue=1 |year=1979 |pages=126–132 }}</ref> Finally, short {{IPA|[ɛ]}} and {{IPA|[ɔ]}} occur in loan words from Greek and Latin (''aípiskaúpus'' {{IPA|[ɛpiskɔpus]}} = {{lang|grc|ἐπίσκοπος}} "bishop", ''laíktjo'' {{IPA|[lɛktjoː]}} = ''lectio'' "lection", ''Paúntius'' {{IPA|[pɔntius]}} = ''Pontius'').
* The Germanic diphthongs {{IPA|/ai/}} and {{IPA|/au/}} appear as digraphs written {{angle bracket|ai}} and {{angle bracket|au}} in Gothic. Researchers have disagreed over whether they were still pronounced as diphthongs {{IPA|/ai̯/}} and {{IPA|/au̯/}} in Ulfilas's time (4th century) or had become long open-mid vowels: {{IPA|/ɛː/}} and {{IPA|/ɔː/}}: ''ains'' {{IPA|[ains] / [ɛːns]}} "one" (German ''eins'', Icelandic ''einn''), ''augo'' {{IPA|[auɣoː] / [ɔːɣoː]}} "eye" (German ''Auge'', Icelandic ''auga''). It is most likely that the latter view is correct, as it is indisputable that the digraphs {{angle bracket|ai}} and {{angle bracket|au}} represent the sounds {{IPA|/ɛː/}} and {{IPA|/ɔː/}} in some circumstances (see below), and {{angle bracket|aj}} and {{angle bracket|aw}} were available to unambiguously represent the sounds {{IPA|/ai̯/}} and {{IPA|/au̯/}}. The digraph {{angle bracket|aw}} is in fact used to represent {{IPA|/au/}} in foreign words (such as ''Pawlus'' "Paul"), and alternations between {{angle bracket|ai}}/{{angle bracket|aj}} and {{angle bracket|au}}/{{angle bracket|aw}} are scrupulously maintained in paradigms where both variants occur (e.g. ''taujan'' "to do" vs. past tense ''tawida'' "did"). Evidence from transcriptions of Gothic names into Latin suggests that the sound change had occurred very recently when Gothic spelling was standardized: Gothic names with Germanic ''au'' are rendered with ''au'' in Latin until the 4th century and ''o'' later on (''Austrogoti'' > ''Ostrogoti''). The digraphs {{angle bracket|ai}} and {{angle bracket|au}} are normally written with an accent on the first vowel (''ái, áu'') when they correspond to Proto-Germanic {{IPA|/ai̯/}} and {{IPA|/au̯/}}.
* Long {{IPA|[ɛː]}} and {{IPA|[ɔː]}} also occur as allophones of {{IPA|/eː/}} and {{IPA|/uː, oː/}} respectively before a following vowel: ''waian'' {{IPA|[wɛːan]}} "to blow" (Dutch ''waaien'', German ''wehen''), ''bauan'' {{IPA|[bɔːan]}} "to build" (Dutch ''bouwen'', German ''bauen'', Icelandic ''búa'' "to live, reside"), also in Greek words ''Trauada'' "Troad" (Gk. {{lang|grc|Τρῳάς}}). In detailed transcription these are notated ''ai, au''.
* {{IPA|/y/}} (pronounced like German ''ü'' and French ''u'') is a Greek sound used only in borrowed words. It is transliterated as ''w'' (as it uses the same letter that otherwise denoted the consonant {{IPA|/w/}}): ''azwmus'' {{IPA|[azymus]}} "unleavened bread" ( < Gk. {{lang|grc|ἄζυμος}}). It represents an υ (y) or the diphthong οι (oi), both of which were pronounced {{IPA|[y]}} in the Greek of the time. Since the sound was foreign to Gothic, it was perhaps pronounced {{IPA|[i]}}.
* {{IPA|/iu/}} is usually reconstructed as a falling diphthong ({{IPA|[iu̯]}}: ''diups'' {{IPA|[diu̯ps]}} "deep" (Dutch ''diep'', German ''tief'', Icelandic ''djúpur''), though this has been disputed (see [[#Alphabet and transliteration|alphabet and transliteration]] section above).
* Greek diphthongs: In Ulfilas's era, all the diphthongs of Classical Greek had become simple vowels in speech (''[[monophthong]]ization''), except for αυ (au) and ευ (eu), which were probably pronounced {{IPA|[aβ]}} and {{IPA|[ɛβ]}} (they evolved into {{IPA|[av~af]}} and {{IPA|[ev~ef]}} in [[Modern Greek]].) Ulfilas notes them, in words borrowed from Greek, as ''aw'' and ''aiw'', probably pronounced {{IPA|[au̯, ɛu̯]}}: ''Pawlus'' {{IPA|[pau̯lus]}} "Paul" (Gk. {{lang|grc|Παῦλος}}), ''aíwaggelista'' {{IPA|[ɛwaŋɡeːlista]}} "evangelist" (Gk. {{lang|grc|εὐαγγελιστής}}, via the Latin ''evangelista'').
* All vowels (including diphthongs) can be followed by a {{IPA|[w]}}, which was likely pronounced as the second element of a diphthong with roughly the sound of {{IPA|[u̯]}}. It seems likely that this is more of an instance of phonetic juxtaposition than of true diphthongs (such as, for example, the sound {{IPA|/aj/}} in the French word ''paille'' ("straw"), which is not the diphthong {{IPA|/ai̯/}} but rather a vowel followed by an [[approximant]]): ''alew'' {{IPA|[aleːw]}} "olive oil" ( < Latin ''oleum''), ''snáiws'' {{IPA|[snɛːws]}} ("snow"), ''lasiws'' {{IPA|[lasiws]}} "tired" (English ''lazy'').

===Consonants===
{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
|-
!&nbsp;
!colspan=2|[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
!colspan=2|[[Dental consonant|Dental]]
!colspan=2|[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
!colspan=2|[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
!colspan=2|[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
!colspan=2|[[Labialized velar consonant|Labiovelar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
![[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|colspan=2|''m'' {{IPA|[[/m/]]}}
|colspan=2| &nbsp;
|colspan=2|''n'' {{IPA|[[/n/]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|''g, n'' {{IPA|[[/ŋ/]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|-
![[Stop consonant|Stop]]
| ''p'' {{IPA|[[/p/]]}}
| ''b'' {{IPA|[[/b/]]}}
|colspan=2| &nbsp;
| ''t'' {{IPA|[[/t/]]}}
| ''d'' {{IPA|[[/d/]]}}
|colspan=2| ''ddj'' {{IPA|/ɟː/}}?{{citation needed|date=August 2023|reason=See talk page.}}
| ''k'' {{IPA|[[/k/]]}}
| ''g'' {{IPA|[[/ɡ/]]}}
| ''q'' {{IPA|[[kʷ|/kʷ/]]}}
| ''gw'' {{IPA|[[ɡʷ|/ɡʷ/]]}}
|&nbsp;
|-
![[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
| ''f'' {{IPA|[[/ɸ/]]}}
| ''b'' {{IPA|[[/β/]]}}
| ''þ'' {{IPA|[[/θ/]]}}
| ''d'' {{IPA|[[/ð/]]}}
| ''s'' {{IPA|[[Voiceless alveolar sibilant|/s/]]}}
| ''z'' {{IPA|[[/z/]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
| ''g, h'' {{IPA|[[Voiceless velar fricative|/x/]]}}
| ''g'' {{IPA|[[/ɣ/]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
| ''h'' {{IPA|[[/h/]]}}
|-
![[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|''l'' {{IPA|[[/l/]]}}
|colspan=2|''j'' {{IPA|[[/j/]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
| ''ƕ'' {{IPA|[[/ʍ/]]}}
| ''w'' {{IPA|[[/w/]]}}
|
|-
![[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|''r'' {{IPA|[[Voiced dental, alveolar and postalveolar trills|/r/]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|}

In general, Gothic consonants are [[final devoicing|devoiced]] at the ends of words. Gothic is rich in fricative consonants (although many of them may have been [[approximant]]s; it is hard to separate the two) derived by the processes described in [[Grimm's law]] and [[Verner's law]] and characteristic of [[Germanic languages]]. Gothic is unusual among Germanic languages in having a {{IPA|/z/}} phoneme, which has not become {{IPA|/r/}} through rhotacization. Furthermore, the doubling of written consonants between vowels suggests that Gothic made distinctions between long and short, or [[gemination|geminated]] consonants: ''atta'' {{IPA|[atːa]}} "dad", ''kunnan'' {{IPA|[kunːan]}} "to know" (Dutch ''kennen'', German ''kennen'' "to know", Icelandic ''kunna'').

====Stops====
* The voiceless stops {{IPA|/p/}}, {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/k/}} are regularly noted by ''p'', ''t'' and ''k'' respectively: ''paska'' {{IPA|[paska]}} "Easter" (from the Greek {{lang|grc|πάσχα}}), ''tuggo'' {{IPA|[tuŋɡoː]}} "tongue", ''kalbo'' {{IPA|[kalboː]}} "calf".
* The letter ''q'' is probably a [[labialized voiceless velar plosive|voiceless labiovelar stop]], {{IPA|/kʷ/}}, comparable to the Latin ''qu'': ''qiman'' {{IPA|[kʷiman]}} "to come". In later Germanic languages, this phoneme has become either a [[consonant cluster]] {{IPA|/kw/}} of a [[voiceless velar stop]] + a [[labio-velar approximant]] (English ''qu'') or a simple voiceless velar stop {{IPA|/k/}} (English ''c, k'')
* The voiced stops {{IPA|/b/}}, {{IPA|/d/}} and {{IPA|/ɡ/}} are noted by the letters ''b'', ''d'' and ''g''. Like the other Germanic languages, they occurred in word-initial position, when doubled and after a nasal. In addition, they apparently occurred after other consonants,: ''arbi'' {{IPA|[arbi]}} "inheritance", ''huzd'' {{IPA|[huzd]}} "treasure". (This conclusion is based on their behavior at the end of a word, in which they do not change into voiceless fricatives, unlike when they occur after a vowel.)
* There was probably also a [[voiced velar plosive|voiced labiovelar stop]], {{IPA|/ɡʷ/}}, which was written with the digraph ''gw''. It occurred after a nasal, e.g. ''saggws'' {{IPA|[saŋɡʷs]}} "song", or long as a regular outcome of Germanic *''ww'': ''triggws'' {{IPA|[triɡʷːs]}} "faithful" (English ''true'', German ''treu'', Icelandic ''tryggur''). The existence of a long [ɡʷː] separate from [ŋɡʷ], however, is not universally accepted.<ref>{{Cite journal |first=Magnús |last=Snædal |title=Gothic <ggw> |journal=Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis |volume=128 |year=2011 |pages=145–154 |doi=10.2478/v10148-011-0019-z |url=https://bibliotekanauki.pl/articles/634550.pdf}}</ref>
* Similarly, the letters ''ddj'', which is the regular outcome of Germanic *''jj'', may represent a voiced palatal stop, {{IPA|/ɟː/}}:{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} ''waddjus'' {{IPA|[waɟːus]}} "wall" (Icelandic ''veggur''), ''twaddje'' {{IPA|[twaɟːeː]}} "two (genitive)" (Icelandic ''tveggja'').{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

====Fricatives====
* {{IPA|/s/}} and {{IPA|/z/}} are usually written ''s'' and ''z''. The latter corresponds to Germanic *''z'' (which has become ''r'' or silent in the other Germanic languages); at the end of a word, it is regularly devoiced to ''s''. E.g. ''saíhs'' {{IPA|[sɛhs]}} "six", ''máiza'' {{IPA|[mɛːza]}} "greater" (English ''more'', Dutch ''meer'', German ''mehr'', Icelandic ''meira'') versus ''máis'' {{IPA|[mɛːs]}} "more, rather".
* {{IPA|/ɸ/}} and {{IPA|/θ/}}, written ''f'' and ''þ'', are voiceless bilabial and voiceless dental fricatives respectively. It is likely that the relatively unstable sound {{IPA|/ɸ/}} became {{IPA|/f/}}. ''f'' and ''þ'' are also derived from ''b'' and ''d'' at the ends of words and then are devoiced and become fricatives: ''gif'' {{IPA|[ɡiɸ]}} "give (imperative)" (infinitive ''giban'': German ''geben''), ''miþ'' {{IPA|[miθ]}} "with" ([[Old English language|Old English]] ''mid'', [[Old Norse]] ''með'', Dutch ''met'', German ''mit''). The cluster {{IPA|/ɸl/}} became {{IPA|/θl/}} in some words but not others: ''þlauhs'' "flight" from Germanic ''*flugiz''; ''þliuhan'' "flee" from Germanic ''*fleuhaną'' (but see ''flōdus'' "river", ''flahta'' "braid"). This sound change is unique among Germanic languages.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}
* {{IPA|/h/}} is written as ''h'': ''haban'' "to have". It was probably pronounced {{IPA|[h]}} in word-final position and before a consonant as well (not {{IPA|[x]}}, since {{IPA|/ɡ/}} > {{IPA|[x]}} is written ''g'', not ''h''): ''jah'' {{IPA|[jah]}} "and" (Dutch, German, Scandinavian ''ja'' "yes").
* {{IPA|[x]}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/ɡ/}} at the end of a word or before a voiceless consonant; it is always written ''g'': ''dags'' {{IPA|[daxs]}} "day" (German ''Tag''). In some borrowed Greek words is the special letter ''x'', which represents the Greek letter χ (''ch''): ''Xristus'' {{IPA|[xristus]}} "Christ" (Gk. {{lang|grc|Χριστός}}).
* {{IPA|[β]}}, {{IPA|[ð]}} and {{IPA|[ɣ]}} are voiced fricative found only in between vowels. They are [[allophones]] of {{IPA|/b/}}, {{IPA|/d/}} and {{IPA|/ɡ/}} and are not distinguished from them in writing. {{IPA|[β]}} may have become {{IPA|/v/}}, a more stable labiodental form. In the study of Germanic languages, these phonemes are usually transcribed as ''ƀ'', ''đ'' and ''ǥ'' respectively: ''haban'' {{IPA|[haβan]}} "to have", ''þiuda'' {{IPA|[θiu̯ða]}} "people" (Dutch ''Diets'',  German ''Deutsch'', Icelandic ''þjóð'' > English ''Dutch''), ''áugo'' {{IPA|[ɔːɣoː]}} "eye" (English ''eye'', Dutch ''oog'', German ''Auge'', Icelandic ''auga''). When occurring after a vowel at the end of a word or before a voiceless consonant, these sounds become unvoiced {{IPA|[ɸ]}}, {{IPA|[θ]}} and {{IPA|[x]}}, e.g. ''hláifs'' {{IPA|[hlɛːɸs]}} "loaf" but genitive ''hláibis'' {{IPA|[hlɛːβis]}} "of a loaf", plural ''hláibōs'' {{IPA|[hlɛːβoːs]}} "loaves".
* ''ƕ'' (also transcribed ''hw'') is the labiovelar equivalent of {{IPA|/x/}}, derived from Proto-Indo-European *kʷ. It was probably pronounced {{IPA|[ʍ]}} (a voiceless {{IPA|[w]}}), as ''wh'' is pronounced in certain dialects of English and in Scots: ''ƕan'' {{IPA|/ʍan/}} "when", ''ƕar'' {{IPA|/ʍar/}} "where", ''ƕeits'' {{IPA|[ʍiːts]}} "white".

====Sonorants====
Gothic has three nasal consonants, one of which is an allophone of the others, all found only in [[complementary distribution]] with them. Nasals in Gothic, like most other languages, are pronounced at the same [[point of articulation]] as the consonant that follows them ([[assimilation (linguistics)|assimilation]]). Therefore, clusters like {{IPA|[md]}} and {{IPA|[nb]}} are not possible.
* {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/m/}} are freely distributed and so can be found in any position in a syllable and form [[minimal pair]]s except in certain contexts where they are neutralized: {{IPA|/n/}} before a [[bilabial consonant]] becomes {{IPA|[m]}}, while {{IPA|/m/}} preceding a [[Dental consonant|dental stop]] becomes {{IPA|[n]}}, as per the principle of assimilation described in the previous paragraph. In front of a [[velar consonant|velar stop]], they both become {{IPA|[ŋ]}}. {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/m/}} are transcribed as ''n'' and ''m'', and, in writing, neutralisation is marked: ''sniumundo'' {{IPA|/sniu̯mundoː/}} ("quickly").
* {{IPA|[ŋ]}} is not a phoneme and cannot appear freely in Gothic. It is present where a nasal consonant is neutralised before a velar stop and is in a complementary distribution with {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/m/}}. Following Greek conventions, it is normally written as ''g'' (sometimes ''n''): ''þagkjan'' {{IPA|[θaŋkjan]}} "to think", ''sigqan'' {{IPA|[siŋkʷan]}} "to sink" ~ ''þankeiþ'' {{IPA|[θaŋkiːθ]}} "thinks". The cluster ''ggw'' sometimes denotes {{IPA|[ŋɡʷ]}}, but sometimes {{IPA|[ɡʷː]}} (see above).
* {{IPA|/w/}} is transliterated as ''w'' before a vowel: ''weis'' {{IPA|[wiːs]}} ("we"), ''twái'' {{IPA|[twai]}} "two" (German ''zwei'').
* {{IPA|/j/}} is written as ''j'': ''jer'' {{IPA|[jeːr]}} "year", ''sakjo'' {{IPA|[sakjoː]}} "strife".
* {{IPA|/l/}} and {{IPA|/r/}} occur as in other European languages: ''laggs'' (possibly {{IPA|[laŋɡs]}}, {{IPA|[laŋks]}} or {{IPA|[laŋɡz]}}) "long", ''mel'' {{IPA|[meːl]}} "hour" (English ''meal'', Dutch ''maal'', German ''Mahl'', Icelandic ''mál'').  The exact pronunciation of {{IPA|/r/}} is unknown, but it is usually assumed to be a [[Trill consonant|trill]] {{IPA|[r]}} or a [[Flap consonant|flap]] {{IPA|[ɾ]}}): ''raíhts'' {{IPA|[rɛxts]}} "right", ''afar'' {{IPA|[afar]}} "after".
* {{IPA|/l/}}, {{IPA|/m/}}, {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/r/}} may occur either between two other consonants of lower sonority or word-finally after a consonant of lower sonority. It is probable that the sounds are pronounced partly or completely as [[syllabic consonant]]s in such circumstances (as in English "bottle" or "bottom"): ''tagl'' {{IPA|[taɣl̩]}} or {{IPA|[taɣl]}} "hair" (English ''tail'', Icelandic ''tagl''), ''máiþms'' {{IPA|[mɛːθm̩s]}} or {{IPA|[mɛːθms]}} "gift", ''táikns'' {{IPA|[tɛːkn̩s]}} or {{IPA|[tɛːkns]}} "sign" (English ''token'', Dutch ''teken'', German ''Zeichen'', Icelandic ''tákn'') and ''tagr'' {{IPA|[taɣr̩]}} or {{IPA|[taɣr]}} "tear (as in crying)".

===Accentuation and intonation===
Accentuation in Gothic can be reconstructed through phonetic comparison, [[Grimm's law]], and [[Verner's law]]. Gothic used a [[stress accent]] rather than the [[pitch accent]] of [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]]. This is indicated by the shortening of long vowels {{IPA|[eː]}} and {{IPA|[oː]}} and the loss of short vowels {{IPA|[a]}} and {{IPA|[i]}} in unstressed final syllables.

Just as in other Germanic languages, the free moving [[Proto-Indo-European accent]] was replaced with one fixed on the first syllable of simple words. Accents do not shift when words are inflected. In most compound words, the location of the stress depends on the type of compound:

* In compounds in which the second word is a ''noun'', the accent is on the first syllable of the first word of the compound.
* In compounds in which the second word is a ''verb'', the accent falls on the first syllable of the verbal component. Elements prefixed to verbs are otherwise unstressed except in the context of separable words (words that can be broken in two parts and separated in regular usage such as [[separable verb]]s in German and Dutch). In those cases, the prefix is stressed.

For example, with comparable words from modern Germanic languages:
* Non-compound words: ''marka'' {{IPA|[ˈmarka]}} "border, borderlands" (English ''march'', Dutch ''mark''); ''aftra'' {{IPA|[ˈaɸtra]}} "after"; ''bidjan'' {{IPA|[ˈbiðjan]}} "pray" (Dutch, ''bidden'', German ''bitten'', Icelandic ''biðja'', English ''bid'').
* Compound words:
** Noun first element: ''guda-láus'' {{IPA|[ˈɡuðalɔːs]}} "godless".
** Verb second element: ''ga-láubjan'' {{IPA|[ɡaˈlɔːβjan]}} "believe" (Dutch ''geloven'', German ''glauben'' < [[Old High German]] ''g(i)louben'' by [[syncope (phonetics)|syncope]] of the unaccented ''i'').