Vandalic was a Germanic language probably closely related to the Gothic language.

The Vandals established themselves in Southern Spain, following other Germanic and non-Germanic peoples (Visigoths, Alans, etc.), before moving to North Africa around Carthage.

Very little is known about the Vandalic language beyond that it was East Germanic, closely related to Gothic. Only a small number of personal names of Vandalic language are known. Some traces may remain in Andalusian, the southernmost Spanish dialect.

A fragment of Vandalic appears in the somewhat snobbish Latin poem de conviviis barbaris, dating to ca. 390:

Inter eils Goticum scapiamatziaiadrincan

non audet quisquam dignos educere versus.

("among the Gothic eils scapiamatziaiadrincan,

  one does not dare to produce dignified verse.")

The Vandalic part is comprehensible, and would correspond to Gothic hails! skapjam matjan jah drigkan!, i.e. "Hail! let's get us some food and drink!".

The only other known Vandalic phrase is Frója armés!, meaning "Lord, have mercy".

External links

• posting on Vandalic by David Salo