𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌹

From Proto-Germanic *twai, from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁. Cognate to Crimean Gothic tua and Old Norse tveir, and Koine Greek δύο (dúo), which it translates.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtwɛː/

𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌹 • (twai)

1. two (cardinal number)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Matthew (Codex Argenteus) 5.41:[1]

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌾𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹 𐍈𐌰𐍃 𐌸𐌿𐌺 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌹 𐍂𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰, 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍃 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍄𐍅𐍉𐍃.

     jah jabai ƕas þuk ananauþjai rasta aina, gaggais miþ imma twōs.

     And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. (KJV)

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 15.11:[2]

     𐍅𐌰𐌸𐌿𐌸~𐌸𐌰𐌽: 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌴 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐍃 𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐌰 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌿𐌽𐍃.

     waþuþ~þan: mannē sums aihta twans sununs.

     And he said, A certain man had two sons: (KJV)

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 6.9:[3]

     𐌰𐌺 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌺𐍉𐌷𐌰𐌹 𐍃𐌿𐌻𐌾𐍉𐌼: 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌽𐌹 𐍅𐌰𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌼 𐍀𐌰𐌹𐌳𐍉𐌼.

     ak gaskōhai suljōm: jah ni wasjaiþ twaim paidōm.

     But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. (KJV)

The declension is irregular, but it is most similar to the a-stem adjectives. The declination of 𐌱𐌰𐌹 (bai, “both”) appears to have been similar.

• 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌹 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌾𐌿𐍃 (twai tigjus, “twenty”)
• 𐍄𐍅𐌰 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰 (twa hunda, “two hundred”)
• 𐍄𐍅𐍉𐍃 𐌸𐌿𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌾𐍉𐍃 (twōs þūsundjōs, “two thousand”)

• 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌹𐍆 (twalif, “twelve”)
• 𐍄𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍆𐌻 (tweifl, “doubt”)
• 𐍄𐍅𐌹𐍃- (twis-, “apart”)

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “T41. twai”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, pages 350–351
• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 142