Evans, David A.H.. Four Philological Notes

• Author: Evans, David A.H.
• Title: Four Philological Notes
• Published in: Saga-Book of the Viking Society for Northern Research 24
• Year: 1997
• Pages: 355-60
• E-text:
• Reference: Evans, David A.H. "Four Philological Notes." Saga-Book of the Viking Society for Northern Research 24 (1997): 355-60.

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• Key words: vocabulary (orðaforði)

Annotation

a) "Margir hvárirtveggju" in chapter 51 of Egils saga is frequently translated as "many on both" ("in Northumbria the only men who amounted to anything were of Danish parentage on father's or mother's side, and many on both"). Hvárirtveggja clearly refers to "each of two (groups)", however, and the passage should be understood as meaning that there were many who had a Danish father and many who had a Danish mother.

b) While the word "mjöðdrekka" seemingly refers to a kind of vessel from which one drinks mead, Kålund pointed out in Maal og Minne (1919) that the word does not seem to have any connection with mead as used in Laxdæla saga, Egils saga and Þiðriks saga af Bern and suggested that it was a loan from OE mydrece and meant 'casket'. Evans points out two further occurances of the word in Tristrams saga ok Ísondar and Elis saga ok Rósamundu that confirm that it refers to a little box or casket and not a mead-cask.

Lýsing

a) „Margir hvárirtveggju“ í 51. kafla Egils sögu er oft þýtt "many on both" ("in Northumbria the only men who amounted to anything were of Danish prentage on father's or mother's side, and many on both"). En „hvárirtveggja“ merkir greinilega "each of two (groups)" og setninguna á því að skilja þannig að það hafi verið margir sem danska ætt áttu að faðerni og margir sem danska ætt áttu að móðerni.

b) „Mjöðdrekka“ virðist eiga við einhvers konar ílát sem mjöður er drukkinn úr, en Kålund benti á það í grein í Maal og Minne (1919) að þar sem orðið kemur fyrir í Laxdælu, Eglu og Þiðreks sögu af Bern hefur það engin tengsl við mjöð að því er virðist. Kålund stakk upp á því að það væri tökuorð úr fornensku (mydrece) og merkti 'kistill'. Evans bendir á tvö önnur dæmi um orðið í Tristrams sögu ok Ísöndar og Elís sögu ok Rósamundu sem staðfesta að það merkir 'kistill' eða 'lítið box' en ekki 'mjaðarkaggi'.

References

Chapter 46: mjöðdrekka: Probably refers to a little box or casket and not a mead-cask (p. 356).

Chapter 51: margir hvorirtveggju: "The words in Egils saga can only mean 'and each of these two groups (i.e. those who were Danish on the father's side and those who were Danish on the mother's side) was numerous'; no mention is made of those who were Danish on both sides, even though such persons must certainly have existed" (p. 356).

Links

• Written by: Katelin Parsons
• Icelandic translation: Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir