𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃

Meaning: “peace” + “ruler, potentate, king”

This single attested form is very likely inherited from Proto-Germanic *Friþurīks or is very closely related to that form. However, the expected Ulfilan Gothic reflex of this Proto-Germanic form would be *friþureiks, which is not attested: a compound of *𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌸𐌿𐍃 (*friþus, “peace”) + 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (reiks, “ruler, potentate, king”). The present form thus poses some problems which could potentially be explained by dialectal differences between the expected (fourth-century) Ulfilan Gothic and this actually attested (fifth or sixth-century) Ostrogothic form: * The second element -reikeis has a somewhat unexpected form. While this sole attested form, friþareikeis, appears to be a genitive singular, that still does not match the expected -reikis if the second element truly were reiks; compare the attested Ulfilan genitive Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌹𐍃 (reikis). It does match the genitive singular of 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (reikeis, “mighty”), a closely related adjective. Perhaps influence from this adjective explains the discrepancy. * The -a- is unexpected given the fact that *friþus is an u-stem, but attested Ostrogothic names often feature such potentially dialectal oddities; compare 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌸𐌰𐍃 (sunjaifriþas).