[gothic-l] Re: Scandinavian Inscriptions North Germanic

[llama_nom]

> > The name _Merila_ appears among the Gothic signatures in the 
> Naples deed (6th century).
> 
> Sure, but it doesn't occur in the inscription. I could be mistaken, 
> but it seems that this thread is all about transfering Scandinavian 
> runic inscription to far-off peoples and realms. One fellow cited 
> claims they are in a Semitic tongue, another Gothic. Evidently, not 
> everyone has an easy time reading Early Scandinavian/North 
Germanic. 

> 
> Regards,
> Konrad
> 


I've just come across this, in the "Gothic Names" appendix to 
Koebler's Gotisches Woerterbuch:

Merila, got., PN (551): Vw.: s. mereis; Q.: UrkN (551); B.: Merila 
UrkN 3,1 UrkN; ?
hierher auch M(e)r(i)la (= Merila), Fibel von Etelhem (5. Jh.) 
(ostgerm.), Krause,
Runeninschriften 40 Nr. 14; Son.: s. a. Mirica, Lehmann M52

So that connection has been made before.  But you're right, this 
still doesn't really explain why the inscription has been regarded as 
East Gmc.

Also in Koebler's "Gothic Names" appendix (refs. to 
Krause, 'Runeninschriften') -

Andag - Schnalle, Vimose
Krause 60,24
c. 200

Awings - Scheidenbeschlag, Vimose
Krause 59,23
c. 400

The buckle I already mentioned.

>>Vimose. Looijenga 5.10 is a bronze buckle which reads: AADAGASU
LAASAUWIJA. Krause's interpretation does seem to be in terms of
Gothic: _A(nsu) a(n)dag a(n)sula a(n)sau wija_, "Ase! Den Andag weihe
ich, der kleine Ase, dem Asen (Wodan)", that is, "God! I, Ansula,
consecrate Andag to the god."<<

If Krause's reading is right, the dative -AU and the first person 
singular verb ending -A are (I assume) the distinguishing features.  
But Looijenga and others have interpreted this inscription quite 
differently, in ways that don't suggest Gothic at all.  So I think it 
stays on the 'extremely tenuous' pile for now.

But what about AWINGS?  If people consider a final -S evidence of 
East Gmc, this would have as much right to inclusion as GAOIS on the 
Moos spear head.  But again, I wonder if it could be a Norse 
genitive - or even just a varient spelling of z/R?  But would I be 
right in thinking that when an inscription consists of a single name 
it is usually in the nominative?

But how certain is AWINGS?  The Kiel Runenprojekt ascribes this 
interpretation to Krause and also Antonsen, but I haven't seen the 
inscription, so I don't know how clear it is.

Meanwhile...

Looijenga (Chap. 5, Nr. 16) and Moltke (pps. 97-98) both mention the 
Nøvling silver rosette fibula, which has the preterite: talgidai.  
(Not considered correct in anything.)  Moltke sees this as a spelling 
mistake caused by illiteracy!  Looijenga suggests two possibilities: 
1) it is due to the falling together of ai & e in Norse; 2) it reads 
_talgida i_ carved in'.  No reference here to East Gmc, even though 
the form _talgida_ is called East Grm in the entry for Udby 
(Looijenga 5,17).

Unstressed vowels in a little-attested language hundreds of years ago 
are never going to be great evidence for anything...  And even if 
runic spelling was very consistent, there still wouldn't have to be 
many anomalies to completely throw modern researchers.  In these 
cases, as you've said, a default assumption of Norse seems best.

Another thing to bear in mind - in considering if an object is of 
distant origin - would be the type of object.  Ordinary, everyday 
items might be less likely to be imports from exotic locations!  
(Looijenga makes this point in relation to the Letcani spindle whorl, 
whose humble function and Romanian provenance add to the case for it 
being Gothic.)  Unless they were small personal possessions of 
sentimental value that came with a person.

Llama Nom

********************************************
Koebler, G, 'Gotisches Wörterbuch', 2. Auflage 1989
http://www.koeblergerhard.de
Looijenga, T, 'Runes around the North Sea and on the Continent AD 150-
700, Texts & Contexts,' Doctoral Dissertation, Groningen 1997
Moltke, E, 'Runerne i Danmark og deres oprindelse', Forum, Copenhagen 
1976, p. 94




You are a member of the Gothic-L list.  To unsubscribe, send a blank email to <gothic-l-unsubscribe at egroups.com>. 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     gothic-l-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/