Re: OE Fethuir

Carl,

The reason I am so curious about the possibility of "father" is that Nennius gives the genealogy of the people of Europe as:
Fethuir
Alanus (son of Fethuir)
Hisicion, Armenon, Neugio (the 3 sons of Alanus)


This appears to correlate perfectly with Tacitus' remarks in the 1st century:
Tuisco (aka Tuisto)
Mannus (son of Tuisco)
The three races of Iscaevones, Herminones (Irminones), & Ingaevones (assumed to descend from Iscio, Irmin, and Ing)


Likewise the later Norse myths record:
Ymir ("twin", "hermaphrodite")
Buri "father", "producer"
Borr "son"
Odin, Villi, Ve (the three sons of Borr)


While various authors have already discussed the similarities between Ymir and Tuisco; here we see that Buri actually means "father" and seems to correspond to Fethuir in the text by Nennius.
I am uncertain whether the linguistic similarity is mere coincidence, or whether Fethuir was specifically meant to refer to "father".

Sincerely,
Aydan

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Carl Hult <Carl.Hult@...> wrote:
>
> It could be another word altogether. My thoughts went to the old
> swedish word fatbur which means wardrobe.
>
> /Carl Hult
>
>
>
> "Sorry to drag up an old post, but I wanted to ask another question...
>
> Nennius, in the Historia Brittonum, chap 17, mentions an individual
> by the name of "Fethuir". I find the name spelled that way in modern
> English translations such as at www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/nennius-
> full.html
> I also find the name given that way in Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews's
> reconstructed Latin version of the original text at
> www.kmatthews.org.uk/history/hb/historia_brittonum5.html#m17
> Whereas in the Latin version by Theodore Mommsen, the name is given
> as "Fetebir".
>
> I had previously asked whether Fethuir/Fetebir was cognate with
> modern English "father".
> Brian M. Scott, thoughtfully replied that the proper OE was <fæder>,
> and that the change from [d] to [ð] did not occur until the Middle Ages.
>
> Recently I was re-reading some notes which included David Dumville's
> assertion that the Historia was continually modified until the 12th
> century.
> At what time did the exact switch from d to "eth" happen?
>
> Also I am curious what is to be made of the Latin "Fetebir", and how
> does that affect any possible cognate with "father"?
>
> As always, any help would mean a great deal!
> Sincerely,
> Aydan"
>