Re: Skane

----- Original Message -----

From: Tommy Tyrberg

To: cybalist@egroups.com

Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2000 2:52 PM

Subject: [cybalist] Re: Skane

The two names are (almost) certainly identical in origin. The Old Germanic form would be *Skadhin-aujo where the later part is the Old Germanic for island (as found today in eng is-land, Swedish ö, Icelandic ey etc.). This would yield Old Norse *Skadhney > (Runic) Norse Skanu, Icelandic Skáney, Swedish Skåne etc. Scandinavia has come by way of Latin where the Old Germanic word is found in several sources in slightly different forms: Scadinavia, Scandinavia, Codanovia etc. As for the first part of the name, the meaning of this has been very much disputed. I think the most popular theory is that it comes from *skadhan- "to hurt, damage" (modern Swedish skada). In that case it would originally have applied to the southwestern tip of Skåne, Skanör peninsula. This is continued by a sandy reef which was for long a notorious ship's graveyard (the first lighthouse in Northern Europe was at Skanör, back in the Middle Ages). Skanör is analysed as Skan-ör where "Skan-" is the same element as in Skåne, Scandinavia and -ör comes from Norse aur "sand, gravel" also used as a noun for sandy reefs (e. g. Mellby ör on Öland). There are several other theories, one links the name to the hunting/skiing goddess Skadhi, another suggestion is a link to the english fish-name shad (the waters around Skanör were long renowned for the herring fisheries, unfortunately it can't be proven that the name has really been used for herring, and as far as I know it is not attested in North Germanic). A further suggestion is Old Germanic *skadh- "shadow" (Goth skadus, German Schatte, Sw (dial.) skadda). Actually the name of the Goddess Skadhi may be derived from this root!

 

I hope this helps.

 

Tommy Tyrberg

Yes, Tommy, this does help. This was a wonderful response. You've answered another of those little niggling question that plague one for half a lifetime. It's as good as your response regarding Ostrobothnia.

 

"Hurtful Peninsula Land". Making it an eponym for Skadhi is very romantic, "Hurtful-Winter Land" perhaps.

 

"Codanovia". This sounds like something from an operetta, perhaps the name of an elderly Polish or Russian countess. I'm guessing it's a hard-C [k], with the initial S dropped. It would be a wonderful name for a Scandinavian-based corporation: Codanovian Lutefisk, Inc.

 

Mark.