Alvis the dwarf (of Alvissmál) knows many languages, when Thor asks
him.
This is of course all made up by the poet, sez science. But suppose
it isn't? Suppose these are actual words of actual languages, spoken
around Asgard-on-the-Don in the 1st century BCE?
Home assignment for the members of cybalist (if you want to, of
course): Find a Caucasus (or north-of-the-Caucasus) language for the
languages below, such that the words match.
For those that fear for my sanity: Yes I'm aware that some of the
words are obviously and transparently compounds of Germanic roots.
But might they not have been Germanic-folk-etymologized in the
intervening 1000+ years?
Language of Men: (ie. Old Norse)
Earth: Iörð
Sky: Himinn
Moon: Máni
Sun: Sól
Cloud: Sky
Wind: Vindr
Calm: Logn
Sea: Sær
Fire: Eldr
Forest: Vidr
Night: Nótt
Grain/seed: Bygg
Beer: Öl
Language of Gods:
Sky: Hlýrnir
Moon: Mylinn
Sun: Sunna
Cloud: Skúrván
Wind: Vaf-uðr
Calm: Lægi
Sea: Si-lægia
Forest: Vallar-Faks
Night: Niól
Grain/seed: Barr
Language of Aesir
Earth: Fold
Fire: Fúni
Beer: Biórr
Language of Vanir
Earth: Vega
Sky: Vindofni
Cloud: Vind-flot
Calm: Vind-Slott
Sea: Vág
Fire: Vág
Forest: Vönd
Grain/seed: Vakst
Beer: Veig
Language of Iötnar
Earth: Igrön
Sky: Uppheim
Moon: Skyndi
Sun: Ey-gló
Cloud: Ur-Ván
Wind: Öpi
Calm: Of-hly
Sea: Ál-heim
Fire: Frekan
Forest: Eldi
Night: Óljós
Grain/seed: Æti
Language of Alfar
Earth: Gróandi
Sky: Fagra-Ræfr
Moon: Ár-tala
Sun: Fagra Hvel
Cloud: Veðr-megin
Wind: Dyn-fara
Calm: Dag-sæva
Sea: Laga-Staf
Forest: Fagur-Líma
Night: Svevn-Gaman
Grain/seed: Laga-Staf
Language of Dvergar
Sky: Diupan Sal
Moon: Skín
Sun: Dvalins-Leika
Calm: Dags-vero
Sea: Diupan Mar
Fire: Forbrenni
Night:Dvergar: Draum-Niorun
Grain/seed:
Beer:Dvergar: Hreina-lög
Language of Up-Regin
Earth: Aur
Language in Helio
Moon: Hverfanda Hvel
Cloud: Huliðs-Hialm
Wind: Hvið-uð
Fire: Hröð-uð
Grain/seed: Hnipin
Beer: Miöð
Language of Ása-synir
Sun: Al-Skir
Language of Ginn-Regin
Wind: Gneggi-oð
Language of Hálir
Forest: Hlið-þang
Language of Ginn-Regin
Night: Grímo
Language of Suttungs-synir
Beer: Sumbl
Note the barr "grain/seed" of the language of the gods. Cf. the *b-r-
grain types in
http://www.angelfire.com/rant/tgpedersen/Opr.html
Torsten