Hi

You tempted me to stand up and check my modern 'íslensk ensk orðabók'
(Iðunn, Reykjavík, 1989) which gives:

vargur m (-s, -ar) hothead, pushy and aggressive person (ie not even a
hint of wolf), while
úlfur m (-s, -ar) wolf

which I guess reinforces your point.

Alysseann

-----Original Message-----
From: Berglaug Ásmundardóttir [mailto:berglauga@...]
Sent: Wednesday, 26 November 2003 3:46 AM
To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [norse_course] Wolves

well, without standing up to check the Lexicon, I can tell you that
vargur
has a wider meaning than just a wolf, while úlfur is just that. Vargur
is,
at least in modern icelandic, used for both foxes and minks, ravens and
other animals that are troublesome to farmers, or eat the carcasses of
dead
animals. It's also used for very bad-tempered people.. although that's a
later usage.

Oh. Now this is funny. I did stand up to check the Lexicon, and found
it's
reversed there, almost. There vargr is said to mean either wolf or
outlaw or
be the latter half of a 'kenning' for swords, but ulfr can mean wolf,
Fenrir, harmful creature, monster or robber, or be a part of a 'kenning'
for
war or killings. And then of course Ulfr can be a name. There is a
difference, but not in all instances.

I was going to say that vargr was more than wolf, but now i'll have to
say
they're both more than just wolf.

So.. well.. yeah, guess they did have two words for wolf, but neither
has
neccessarily to refer to wolves exclusively.

Not very helpful, is it

Berglaug

----- Original Message -----
From: <shibbyhellman@...>
To: "Nordic Fellers" <norse_course@egroups.com>
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 10:02 PM
Subject: [norse_course] Wolves


> Is there any difference in the words ulfr and vargr or did the
Icelanders
just have two words for wolf? Just curious. Thanks
>
> --
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> ~Aodh MacUisdean
>
>
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