----- Original Message -----

From: xigung

To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 8:31 PM

Subject: [norse_course] Re: Hrafnkell 633-654

Thank you, Patricia!

Sorry, but I thought I recalled you as the list moderator.
But that was Arlie (of course :-)
Any way, the list seems to be working now, but you
were right that the chars did not come through properly.
One computer needs to use Unicode, the other Western,
in order to read the same chars properly. Confusing.

I'd also like to say that I changed my mind about "byzk".
Contrary to what I thought in my first post, I now see it
more clearly as a form of "bjó›ask".

That is because the "z" in this normalisation is used
for the contraction of "›rs" > "z". This seems to be the rule :
           
            alveole + /rs/ -> <z>.

In that case, backtracking by replacing the z with
the ›rs, from which it was derived by contraction, we obtain

            byzk  <-- by›rsk <-- by›r sik

The last form then clearly is from *bjó›a* or bjó›a sik = bjó›ask.
The meaning should then be something like "to offer oneself".

             hann by›r     -- he offers
             hann by›r sik -- he offers himself
             hann byzk     -- same meaning: he offers himself.

If it had been from *búa* (to prepare), then it would have been
"hann byr", "hann byr sik" --> "hann bysk" (he prepares himself)
In other words, there wouldn't have been a "z", but just a plain "s".
The presence of the "z" indicates that an alveole (the ›) used to
be there.

Thus Samr proposes, offers himself, or volunteers to be their
chief instead of Hrafnkell. (Hrafnkels saga Ch. 15)

Best regards

Xigung