About Villemann og Magnhild

[Rydwlf]

Hails Ingemar,
   
  The proposal you make of a third possible meaning for Villeman makes it even more interesting :)
  It would be nice if we could find a Gothic word/root that in some way could imply the 3 same meanings... but I think that's hard. Is there any Gothic root with that "get lost" meaning and a phonetic structure similar to "wil" ? In that case one could always leave the name as "Wilmanna" and bypass the etymologic problem (or better, undergo it).
   
  Thanks and regards,
   
  Rydwlf.

Ingemar Nordgren <ingemar at nordgren.se> wrote:
  Hi Rydwlf and Ualarauans,

Maybe I complicate it for you but there is still another meaning of
'vill'. It can as well mean to 'get lost'in e.g. the wood, 'lose the
track to the goal' and also to be confused et c. In a song is e.g.
written 'i villande skogen' meaning 'in the wood that lures you to go
wrong', confuses your perception. Villeman then could mean somebody
that lost his way either we talk of a real road or just use it as a
metaphor when somebody can't concentrate on reality but instead
fancies et c. An exellent description of a bard fallen in love, heh?

Don't take this too seriously since I as well dare not say the exact
meaning of the name.

Best
Ingemar


--- In gothic-l at yahoogroups.com, Rydwlf wrote:
>
> Hails Ualarauans,
> 
> Thank you for your comments and corrections! It's a nice way to
learn this one :)
> 
> >I don't know what the name means in Norwegian, so I'm only guessing. 
> >If it's ville "will" + mann "man", then Gothic *Wiljamanna would do. 
> >If the first element is from ON villr "wild", then perhaps *Wilþimanna.
> 
> Unfortunately, I don't know either what the name means in
Norwegian... I have checked in dictionaries and 'vill' may be "wild,
impetuous, savage". There is even 'villmann' meaning "savage". And
then there is the verb 'ville' meaning "want, want to, will, wish".
Would it be something like "Wild/Brave Man" or on the other hand
"Willing Man"? In the end, one may say that both meanings are related
somehow. Anyway I see that you have considered both possibilities.
I've been looking for some analysis on the song (and the names on it)
on the net but I've found none (at least in English). Until I find
some, or get the opinion from some Norwegian friend, we can leave the
two versions as possible.
> 



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