I'd like to run this past the list (and especially Haukur).

Still trying to nail down the translation of 'Mardöll' - one of the names
Snorri gives us to refer to Freyja. The name has been published to mean
'Light of the Sea' and many take it for granted.

'Mar-' has now been dismissed as meaning 'Sea' alone.
'-döll' has also been dismissed as meaning 'Light' or anything related to
it.

I propose the following:

'Mard-' is a conjugated form of 'Merja' according to one of my Icelandic
sources which means 'Squeeze'.
'-öll' is a conjugated form of 'Allur' which means 'All'.

This makes the possible interpretation (if not translation) of the word
Mardöll to be 'Squeezes-All', which in relation to Freyja would make sense
if it were a reference to her freedom with sexual partners - as in: 'One who
embraces everyone she meets'.

This seems viable to me - but there may be some linguistic touches to it
that may invalidate it or refine it.

Please comment.

-Laz

----- Original Message -----
From: "fjornir" <haukurth@...>
To: <norse_course@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 9:55 AM
Subject: [norse_course] Re: Mardoll


> > "-doll" on the other hand doesn't seem to have any connection with
> > 'light' in any form that I can find. It's possible that it's a
> > noun-form with some sort of vowel mutation - but I can't find
> > anything that it might come from.
>
> You're right about the vowel mutation; 'döll' is derived
> from 'dallr' by u-mutation. Or at least that's the theory
> but we have no definite evidence for the 'dall-' root having
> the meaning of 'light' in Old Norse.
>
> *dall-ó > *dallu > *döllu > döll
> *dall-az > *dallaR > *dallR > dallr
>
> Kveðja,
> Haukur
>
>
>
> Sumir hafa kvæði...
> ...aðrir spakmæli.
>
> - Keth
>
> Homepage: http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/
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