LL-L "Names" 2002.02.20 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 20.FEB.2002 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Helge Tietz <helgetietz at yahoo.com>
Subject: Heligoland

Dear Lowlanders,

I am wondering where the English name of the Frisian
island Heligoland is derived from. In German it is
called Helgoland, in the Frisian dialect of the island
it is called Halleglun. From there it appears as if
the English version could possibly be derived directly
from the native Frisian name. The meaning of the name
Heligoland is "the holy land", does anyone have any
information ?

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Names

Helge,

Thanks.  I have often wondered about the same thing.  I have heard it said
several times before that the name for Heligoland originally meant "Holy Land"
or "Sacred Land."  However, I am not totally convinced and have been wondering
if this _halleg_ ~ _hillig_ ~ _helig..._ might have something to do with what
in Low Saxon (Low German) is /heil/ _heel_, Dutch _heel_, W. Frisian _hiel_,
English "whole" -- thus *_hel-ig-_ referring to "contiguous land," "landmass"
or "mainland" as seen in relation to the ocean or surrounding smaller
islands.  As you know, Insular North Frisians tend to refer to their home
islands as _luun_, _lönj_, etc., meaning 'land'.

As for the "extra" _i_ in English "Heligoland," I do not think it would be a
stretch of the imagination to assume that it is based on an earlier Frisian or
Low Saxon version (_halleg_ ~ _hillig_ ~ _helig..._) from a time before in
Frisian or Low Saxon the adjectival suffix _-igo_ came to be contracted to
_-go_.

If the name originally really meant "Holy Land," then the question would be
why this is so.  Was it that the inhabitants simply considered their home
island so blessed (with an abundance of fish and lobster surrounding it until
the early 20th century) that they considered it sacred, or did the island once
play a specific spiritual role?  If the latter were the case, I would suspect
pre-Christian beliefs to be involved (much like in the case of the Baltic Sea
island of Rugia/Rügen once having served as a spirtual center for the Slavic
Pomeranians).  It is generally assumed that it was sometime around 800 C.E.
that Frisians migrated from what are now Fryslân, Emsland and Eastern
Friesland to settle on the North Frisian Islands (the North Frisian mainland
having been Frisianized about two centuries later).  I assume these early
migrants had not yet been or were "barely" Christianized.  (Had they perhaps
tried to get away from the conquering and Christianizing Franks under
Charlemagne?)

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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