Name of the Goths

The name of the Goths is one of the most interesting topics in Germanic philology. People started writing about the Goths around the 3rd century AD, even though related names show up a bit earlier. The word comes from an old Germanic word *Gutōz ~ *Gutaniz. This name is very similar to the names of the Geats who lived in southern Sweden and the Gutes from Gotland. Scholars still argue about what these names really mean and how they are all connected. Studying the name of the Goths helps us learn more about ancient languages and the people who spoke them.

Endonym and exonym

In their own language, the Goths called themselves Gut-þiuda, meaning "Gothic people". This name appeared in writings by Greek and Roman authors as Gutones, referring to people living near the Vistula river around the 1st–2nd century AD. Over time, the spelling changed in Latin and Greek to forms like Gothi.

The name of the Goths is connected to other names in Scandinavia, such as the Geats, suggesting a shared ancient root. These names give us clues about how the Goths saw themselves and how others described them long ago.

Etymology

The name "Goth" comes from an old Proto-Germanic word, *Gutaz, which later changed into Gotan in Old English. This name is connected to other groups, like the Gutes who lived on the island of Gotland and the Geats from southern Sweden.

The roots of the word "Goth" might come from a word meaning "to pour," linking it to ideas about water or rivers. Even though the Goths shared a name with these other groups, it doesn’t mean they all moved together. Instead, small powerful families likely spread the name to new places.

Main article: Name of the Goths

!Etymology of the name 'Goth'

Meaning

The meaning of the name "Goths" is still a mystery. Some think it might mean "men" or "people," like "seed-spreaders" or "progenitors." Others believe it could refer to "stallions" or "horses," connecting to ideas of strength and fertility.

One idea suggests the Goths were called "the people living where the river has its outlet" or "people connected by rivers and the sea." Another theory ties the name to an ancestor named Gapt, meaning the Goths could be understood as "sons of Gaut." While the exact meaning is unclear, experts agree that the tribal name "Goths" shares roots with similar names like "Gauts."

Attestations

See also: Gutes, Gauts, and Gotones

The name of the Goths was first recorded by Greco-Roman writers around the 1st century AD as Gutones. This name referred to groups living near the lower Vistula. Later writers like Strabo and Pliny the Elder also mentioned similar names, which scholars often connect to the Goths.

By the late 3rd century AD, the name Goths appeared clearly in writings, describing peoples north of the Danube. This name showed up in inscriptions and historical records, linking it to earlier names like Gutones. Historians debate whether these names are truly the same, but many believe they are connected.

Legacy

The name Goths was sometimes used for other groups, including the Burgundians, Vandals, and Gepids. From the 4th century, the area of Dacia in the Balkans was called Gothia because Goths lived there. The two main Gothic groups were the Visigoths and Ostrogoths.

Later, the term "Gothic" came to describe certain styles of art and architecture. The Gothic name is still seen today in places like Gotland and in the Spanish word godo, meaning 'noble' or 'rich'.

Historical significance

The name of the Goths is very important for learning about where they came from. Scholars think that the Goths might be connected to two other groups, the Gutes and the Geats, because their names sound similar. Some believe the Goths, Gutes, and Geats were once part of the same group of traders and warriors near the Baltic Sea.

One idea is that these names originally referred to a group of people from northern Europe, different from other nearby tribes. This idea might even relate to old stories from Norse mythology about different groups of gods.

Other names

The Goths were sometimes called Scythians by Greco-Roman writers in the 3rd century AD. For example, a writer named Dexippos referred to them this way, though he might not have meant they shared the same origins.

Later writers, like Claudian, Orosius, Saint Jerome, and Augustine of Hippo, often called the Goths the Getae. Modern historians, however, believe this was not correct. In the late 4th century, the writer Ambrose linked the Goths to Gog from the Book of Ezekiel, likely because the names sounded similar.