𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰

From Proto-Germanic *frumô and cognate to Old English forma. Contains the comparative suffix -𐌿𐌼𐌰 (-uma).

• IPA^(key): /ˈfru.ma/

𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 • (fruma) (superlative 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃)

1. the former, the first of two

   Antonym: 𐌰𐍆𐍄𐌿𐌼𐌰 (aftuma)

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: First Epistle to Timothy (Codex Ambrosianus A) 2.13:[1]

     𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌼 𐌰𐌿𐌺 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌸, 𐌸𐌰𐌸𐍂𐍉𐌷 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐍅𐌰;

     adam auk fruma gadigans warþ, þaþrōh aiwwa;

     For Adam was first formed, then Eve. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 10.31:[2]

     𐌰𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌹 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌰𐍆𐍄𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐍆𐍄𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃.

     aþþan managai wairþand frumans aftumans, jah aftumans frumans.

     But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. (KJV).

2. former (previous)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Epistle to the Galatians (Codex Ambrosianus A) 4.13:[3]

     𐍅𐌹𐍄𐌿𐌸 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 𐍃𐌹𐌿𐌺𐌴𐌹𐌽 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌹𐍃 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌴𐌻𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐍉,

     wituþ þatei þairh siukein leikis aiwaggēlida izwis þata frumō,

     Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. (KJV).

There is no corresponding positive degree.

When used adverbially, in the accusative singular neuter, it has the sense of “at the previous time, at the first time (as opposed to the present)” (as in the above quote from Gal. 4:13).

A variant form 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌴 (frumē) is attested.

𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 • (fruma) ? (dative singular)

1. beginning (initial portion of some extended thing)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of John (Codex Argenteus) 15.27:[4]

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌾𐌿𐍃 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍄𐍅𐍉𐌳𐌴𐌹𐌸, 𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌴 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌼𐌹𐍃 𐍃𐌹𐌾𐌿𐌸.

     jah þan jus weitwōdeiþ, untē fram fruma miþ mis sijuþ.

     And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of John (Codex Argenteus) 16.4:[5]

     𐌰𐌺𐌴𐌹 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 𐍂𐍉𐌳𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃, 𐌴𐌹 𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌴 𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌹 𐍃𐍉 𐍈𐌴𐌹𐌻𐌰 𐌹𐌶𐌴, 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌴𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐌹𐌶𐌴 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 𐌹𐌺 𐌵𐌰𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃. 𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 𐌽𐌹 𐌵𐌰𐌸, 𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌴 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐍅𐌰𐍃.

     akei þata rōdida izwis, ei biþē qimai sō ƕeila izē, gamuneiþ þizē þatei ik qaþ izwis. iþ þata izwis fram fruma ni qaþ, untē miþ izwis was.

     But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. (KJV).

Does not occur outside of the phrase 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌰 (fram fruma, “from the beginning”).

Only found in the dative singular. It may have been a masculine a-stem or i-stem, or a neuter a-stem (as Lehmann guesses). Alternatively, it may be a nominalization of the above adjectve.

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “F99. fruma”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, pages 129–130
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 39