[gothic-l] Re: Snorri on Reidgotaland

[dirk at SMRA.CO.UK]

--- In gothic-l at y..., trbrandt at p... wrote:
> Hi Anders
>
> --- In gothic-l at y..., malmqvist52 at y... wrote:
> >
> > The H would easily be explained as the hebrew definite article,
> > corresponding to "the" in english and the suffix  -en/-et in
> swedish.
>
>
> OK, but which connections had the pagans around the Baltic Sea
before
> 800AD with the Hebrew language? I regard closer connections as more
> probable.
>
>
> > And right No, I haven't made up my mind of what Reid (Hreid) in
> > reidgotaland  actually means yet,  but It COULD be that simple,
> that
> > Snorri just made the word eygotaland up, as a perhaps funny,
> perhaps
> > not play with words.(H)Reidgotalad would then mean "The-made-up-
> land"
> > i e "the-nest-land".
> >
> > (I am smiling now.)
> >
> > Best wishes
> > Anders
> >
>
> You may be right, that Snorri made up Eygothland, but then it was
> still as a logical contrast to Hreidgotaland, which he did not make
> up (see the posting from Keth 13 min. before yours).
>
> Furthermore the translation "Nest-Goths" is not a new one. I have
> seen it in Kemp Malone's Widsith from 1962, but now I think I
> understand it after these discussions.
>
> Troels


Hi Anders and Troels,

I just remembered that there was an old placename 'Reid-ensis' and
'Hreid-ensis vicus' in lower Saxony. I don't suggest that it has
anything to do with  the 'Reid-gotaland' or 'Hreid-gotaland' of
Snorri, but the first sylabyll may have had the same meaning and could
be a point of departure for finding out what 'Reid-' stands for,
especially as both form 'reid' and 'hreid' are attested. This
Reidensis was in the dollart between Holland and Germany, but has
since been drowned by the sea. My guess would have been that 'reid' in
placenames is derived from Germanic 'riede' meaning small river.
Placenames with -riede-, -rede-, -riet- and -reid- are very common in
Germany.

cheers,
Dirk




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