From: Jennifer Westdal
Message: 4139
Date: 2004-02-07
> BerglaugJed-
> Many thanks. Because Icelandic is renowned as being
> conservative (linguistically), I am prepared to risk
> using your modern version if I can't get hold of an
> Old Icelandic copy.
> There is another question which may be of interest
> to others as well as myself. Part of my course will
> show how in English, surnames came to take the place
> of patronymics because of the exponential rise in
> population. But Iceland has never to my knowledge
> had a population explosion to compare with it. What
> system operates in Iceland. Do all girls (and boys)
> take the names of their fathers so that there is a
> different patronymic in every generation or is your
> last name truly a surname? I've wondered about this
> on and off for years.
> I think the retention of 'dottir' in last names is
> wonderful. I would love it if my own daughter were
> called Meg Jedardottir instead of Mc Harg.
> Once again, thanks very much.
> Cheers
> Jed