From: Marc Verhaegen
Message: 8364
Date: 2001-08-07
>> >>By the way the Dutch word schaduwen also appears similar to(-er like, eg, Amster-dam<Amstel-er-dam, near the river Amstel)
>> >>the name of the Danish town of Skagen, which is dominates the
>> >>Skaw landform. JS Crary
>> >
>> >I just checked some dictionaries on Danish toponymics. They all
>> >insist that Skagen is from Old Danish skaghi "spit of land", and
>> >that Skagerrak is Dutch, further that Kattegat is from Dutch =
>> >"narrow passage (even for a cat)". Torsten
>>
>> Skagerrak Dutch? Doesn't sound very Dutch to me?
>> What is the etymology? Rak near Skagen?
>> and rak = vaarwater? (cf. rekken & Lat. regere, direction...)?Yes, you're right.
>> Kattegat is not impossible, but so is its folk-etymological (if
>> that is the right term) derivation from Kwade Gat
>> (if the Kattegat was was a dangerous water?). Marc
>
>Vaarwater, exactly. Schager Rak. Probably Skagen (the Skaw) was
>rendered as Schagen on Dutch maps, and the name has been re-danified
>(with not much success, /rak/ is not a Danish word). And there is a
>Langerak in the Netherlands I believe? Torsten