----- Original Message -----
From: "Haukur Thorgeirsson" <haukurth@...>

> Heill Lazarus.
>
> If it is possible for you to use the ISO-8859-1 character set instead
> of UTF-8 it would be easier on me and, I think, a lot of us :-)


> So, as 'guidelines' for the list I would suggest:
>
> Character set: ISO-8859-1 aka Latin-1 (or, I suppose, ASCII)
> Formatting: Plain text

I've never had anyone complain before. I reset my character set to ISO
Latin9. I don't have Latin1. Tell me if this is better.


> >I've found that complete grokking of the term requires the study of other
> >'U-' prefixes like 'Un' and 'Um'. 'Un' is used to make the word 'Undir'
> >which is the translated as 'Under' in English. 'Um' means
> >'around/about/throughout' and has an osmotic quality of permeating a
concept
> >completely. 'Um' is used within the word 'Umbla' (i.e. Auðumbla) which
means
> >'blossoming into creation' or something like that (the prefix 'Auð-'
like
> >the English prefix 'Ad-' means 'to promote/to encourage/to nourish/to
rear'
> >so the Primal Cow Auðumbla is named 'Encourager/Nourishor of Creation').
> >Therefore, to say that the word 'Urð' means 'past' is inadequate. I
prefer
> >to translate it as 'the origin' or simply 'before'.
>
> I think you should be very careful in trying to read meaning into a whole
> group of prefixes - like those starting with 'u'. And I don't think Urðr
> has much to do with the 'ur' prefix.

We'll agree to disagree then. To me, the evidence that they are related is
notable.

> The name Verðandi is the present participle of the verb 'verða' meaning
> 'become'. Thus: Verðandi = Becoming.

Very good definition.

> >Zoega and Gordon translate "Skuld" to mean 'Debt'. Precisely how the
Norn
> >'Skuld' represents 'Debt' I can only conjecture. Probably related to how
the
> >future is an emptiness that requires filling. Hey - that sounds pretty
good.
>
> It does mean 'debt'. A related noun (via i-mutation) is 'skylda', meaning
'duty'.

Interesting. So the hypothesis that the Old Norse future is 'an emptiness to
be fullfilled' is furthered.

Thank you.

-Laz