From: Marco Moretti
Message: 4187
Date: 2004-02-17
> >"Now, if we were able to dig deeply into linguistic history,would
> we find ultimately that there are two elements. 'kona' - 'woman',Hello!
> and 'ungr' - 'young', the whole word to mean the young (son) of a
> woman?"
>
> This has been suggested.
>
> *kven-ungr -> konungr
>
> This seems to call for some sort of matrilinear
> cultural element for which there is scant evidence.
>
> The Rígsþula mentions a "Konr ungr" which seems to be
> a folk etymology for the word. ('Konr' is "man".)
>
> The canonical explanation seems to be that the word is
> derived from something akin to 'kyn' meaning "kin" with
> a noun suffix. Thus:
>
> þjóð (people) + -ann = þjóðann (king)
> drótt (people) + -inn = dróttinn (lord)
> kyn (people) + -ungr = konungr (king)
>
> Kveðja,
> Haukur