Sæll, Snæbjörn.

You are somewhat fundamentally heading the wrong way with this. :)
It is very difficult to enter a particular language, grab one tiny
bit, get it right and then get out. In the process you're almost
certain to make unwarranted assumptions.

For example you have been told, quite correctly, that an Old Norse
word for 'axe' is "øx" and that an Old Norse word for 'swift' is "skjótr"
Out of this you've assumed that an acceptable Old Norse compound word
for 'swift-axe' is "skjotrox".

You've made some assumptions here:

1. It is appropriate to describe an "øx" with the adjective "skjótr".

2. It is acceptable to represent both 'ø' and 'ó' with 'o' (in an
ASCII context?).

3. Compound words formed with an adjective and a noun are acceptable
in Old Norse.

3.1. In this case the dictionary forms of each word should be used.

3.2. The adjective should precede the noun in the compound.

Further you seem to have assumed:

4. A compound meaning "swift axe" is an appropriate byname in Old Norse
culture/language.

5. The English alphabet is adequate to describe the pronunciation of Old
Norse by "writing out" the words "as they would be pronounced".

Of these 2 is defensible, 3 and 3.2 are correct, I am not certain about 1
and 4 while 3.1 and 5 are definitely incorrect.

- - -

I would suggest 'snarøx' (although I have nothing concrete against 'skjótøx')
with the qualification that I am not sure if it is appropriate (doesn't seem
to have anything specific against it, but I don't remember any good analogy either).

As for approximate pronunciation the sound of 'ø' simply does not exist
in English. Try French, as Zarco suggested. Icelanders tend to feel the
closest English sound is the 'u' in 'run' or 'burn'. Others may perceive
it differently.

The 'r' should be rolled like in Spanish. The 's', 'n' and 'a' are not
far from what an English speaker would expect in this environment.
The 'x' is made of two sounds; the first does not exist in Standard
English; it is like the 'ch' in Scots "loch" or German "hoch".
The second is an 's'-sound. An acceptable variant for the first
sound (at least in modern Icelandic) is like the 'k' in English 'skull'

Clarifying that most people about my age pronounce the Icelandic 'x'
like the English 'x'. Most older people have a fricative rather than
a plosive for the first part.

Kveðja,
Haukur


Hinn 05. júní 2003 lét Mark Grass þetta frá sér fara:

> Ok. Now can I ask one more favor? You seem I'm rather
> bad with languages so could you just write out
> Skjotrox as it would be pronounced? I've a real bad
> time understanding languages unfortunately. This is
> one of the reasons I joined to the list. To try and
> improve that skill.
> Snaebjornr