Wat de Bijbel ons leert over de Goten

Een historisch-taalkundig perspectief op de vroege Gotische geschiedenis, 100-400

Samenvatting

The origin of the Goths is unclear: for lack of an alternative, historians often rely solely on the sixth-century Getica by the Byzantine author Jordanes. Based on this history, it is commonly asserted that the Goths migrated southward from Scandinavia during the first centuries of the Common Era, finally appearing near the Danube delta in the early third century, where their presence is confirmed by other sources. Jordanes’ account, however, is skewed by legendary elements and ethnographical topoi to such an extent that it can hardly be relied upon by modern scholars. Archaeology similarly fails to give clear answers. This paper therefore turns to historical linguistics for new data, specifically the vocabulary of the well-attested Gothic language. The early speakers of Gothic are shown to have exchanged loanwords with a variety of language communities, the locations of which cast doubt on the migration route as it is typically envisioned.