From: Daniel Bray
Message: 3305
Date: 2003-06-20
Hi Laurel, Thanks for the OED quotes ! If it means enchantment, as the quotes indicate, then the last part is probably just "gaeldor" (sp) which I understand was also used in OE (?) (a gale is a wind) Could the prefix si- then be the same as ON seid? --> "Seiðgaldr". That is all I can think of right now. English has many words ending in -ry e.g. "trickery", "witchery", "sorcery", "all and sundry", "weaponry", "infantry". "artillery", "gallery", "victory". And so it it is not implausible that a word "gaeldry" might have been formed from "gaeldor". I hope these remarks will encourage you not to give it up quite yet, because I find it not very convincing (yet). Best regards Xigung --- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "Laurel Bradshaw" <llawryf@...> wrote:From the OED. It does not give an etymology, however: Sigaldry: Obs. rare. Enchantment, sorcery. a1225 [see SIGALDER n.]. 13.. K. Alis. 7015 (W.), Quede and harmehe wil me spye,..Gef he wot of this sygaldrye [Laud trigoldrye] That this trowes [= trees] kan lye. ?a1500 Chester Pl., Crucifixion (Shaks. Soc.) II. 69 Burye hym wher thy wil be, But look thou make no sigaldry To raise him up agayne.Sigalder: Obs. rare. A charm or incantation. c1000 Saxon Leechd. I. 388 Sye-ealdor ic begale, sie~yrd ic mewee. a1225 Ancr. R. 208 Sigaldren [v.r. sigaldrie], & false teolunges, leuunge on ore & of swefnes, & alle wichchecreftes.Hence sigalder v., to enchant, bewitch. Obs. 1303 R. BRUNNE Handl. Synne 503 ere was a wycche, and made abagge, A bely of leyr,..She sygaldryd so ys bagge bely at hyt ede and soke mennys ky. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Wireless Video Surveillance http://us.click.yahoo.com/jWIEhC/90OGAA/ySSFAA/GP4qlB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> A Norse funny farm, overrun by smart people. Homepage: http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/ To escape from this funny farm try rattling off an e-mail to: norse_course-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
-- Daniel Bray dbray@... School of Studies in Religion A20 University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia "Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe." H. G. Wells (1866 - 1946)