From: keth@...
Message: 1035
Date: 2001-03-14
> E-Ching wrote:older
> >>Besides, the ON sagas are not the oldest
> >>source of information about the root word in this case.
>
> Keth replied:
> >I think they are the oldest source for most "Norse" words,
> >unless you want to add runic inscriptions, which do
> >give information about some words.
>
> hm? I would say that eddic and skáldic poetry are significantly
> sources for Norse language use than the sagas, with runicinscriptions
> being sources of urnordisch (Proto-Norse) rather than Old Norse -and if
> you agree with oral-formulaic theory (I certainly do), it's possibleto
> consider eddic poetry as a significantly older use of language thanthe sagas.
>have
> >Notice also that it is "ulfr" that is
> >used for PN's. A varg is a "niþing".
>
> Here I would make a big point that "varg" and "níðing" appear to
> started off with different meanings and became closer in meaning bythe
> saga-writing period (anyone who's studied these changes more than I,please
> correct me) - as this conversation has made fairly clear, a "varg"Maybe a reflection of the old excecution method of criminals,
> originally meant "criminal", and became applied to outlaws and
> wolves. However, "níðing" in the oldest usages distinctly means"coward,"
> especially someone who chickens out of a duel or battle,I have also seen this use of the word.
>and thisdeveloped
> into "dishonourable person" in general, and often directly tooutlaws
> ("griðníðing" being especially notable).That is yet another meaning.
>Ásmundarson
> As an example of the difference, I would personally say Grettir
> spent much of his adult life as a varg, but was never a níðing - andIIRC,
> the narrative voice calls him a varg while his enemies call him aníðing,
> so the author of Grettis saga *might* be showing a similar attitude.(I
> wouldn't go out on a limb defending that one, though.)How about it if he worked evil ? (níðingsverk)
>some
> >In Rome btw, the she-wolf was a "lupa".
> >Romulus and Remus were nursed by a she-wolf, as you may recall.
>
> In Latin, "lupa" is also slang for a prostitute (rather similar to
> English slang), which makes a bit more sense than having a cityfounded by
> feral children - unless we're using the logic of "gods taking theforms of
> animals to have semi-divine human children," in which case thisappears to
> be a lesser form of it, where Romulus and Remus weren't descended,but were
> just raised by a goddess. My guess is probably Acca Larentia, whowas an
> Etruscan mother-goddess with sacral prostitution, until the Romansgot
> ahold of her and she became patron of streetwalkers... ;->Yes, you are right, the roman prositutes were called "lupa".