--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, Haukur Þorgeirsson <haukurth@...>
wrote:

>

> The change /ll/ > /dl/ makes one feel especially close to home. Note

that

> this change not only happened in Iceland, the Faroes and in Sogn but

also

> in Shetland: "delivra wus fro adlu idlu" or "Trettì merkè vath ru

godle".

> In the Orkneys too, I'm sure, though I don't know if the scant sources
> furnish an example.

The link Eysteinn posted recently about the Orkney "Norn" has
'delivera vus fro olt ilt'. At first I just took this for the
nom.acc. ending used in place of the dative, but looking at the
sections on Orkney placenames and dialect, I wonder if ON /ll/ > /ld/
here (either directly or via /dl/).

fiold = fjöll
gelder "to roar with laughter, have a fit of giggling" = gjalla??

But beside 'fiold' there is also 'fell' and 'fea', and ON 'völlr' >
'wall' in Orkney placenames -- so I don't know. And the Lord's Prayer
has "Helleur ir i nam thite." Other possible counter examples in
placenames:

Trollawatten = *Trollavatn
hellya = hella or hellir

http://www.orkneyjar.com/placenames/pl-root.htm

Still, I guess if /dl/ did once exist in these names, it might have
been lost as they were adapted to English phonology.

Llama Nom