Scandinavian Relations with Ireland During the Viking Period

Name: Scandinavian Relations with Ireland During the Viking Period
Author: Walsh, A.

Walsh, A.

Ireland -- History -- To 1603; Northmen; Scandinavia -- History

O. Ir. _at-cluic_, also _clocc-att_ ‘a helmet.’ _att_ = O.N. _hattr_,
  ‘a hat,’ while _cluic_ = M. Ir. _clocenn_, ‘a head.’

  M. Ir. _allsmann_;                 O.N. _halsmen_, ‘a necklace.’

  M. Ir. _boga_;                     O.N. _bogi_, ‘a bow.’

  M. Ir. _bossan_;                   O.N. _púss_, ‘a small bag or purse
                                          hanging from the belt.’

  M. Ir. _cnapp_;                    O.N. _knappr_, ‘a button.’

  M. Ir. _elta_;                     O.N. _hjalt_, ‘a hilt’ (of a sword).

  M. Ir. _mattal_;                   O.N. _möttull_, ‘a cloak.’

  M. Ir. _mergge_;                   O.N. _merki_, ‘a flag’ or ‘banner.’

  M. Ir. _sceld_;                    O.N. _sköjldr_, ‘a shield.’

  O. Ir. _scot_, lin _scoit_;        O.N. _skaut_, ‘a cloth,’ or ‘sheet.’

  M. Ir. _starga_;                   O.N. _targa_, ‘a shield.’

II. HOUSEBUILDING.

  M. Ir. _bailc_;                    O.N. _bálkr_, ‘a beam.’

  M. Ir. _fuindeog_;                 O.N. _vindauga_, ‘a window.’

  M. Ir. _garda_;                    O.N. _garthr_, ‘a garden.’

  M. Ir. _halla_;                    O.N. _höll_, ‘a hall.’

  M. Ir. _sparr_;                    O.N. _sparri_, ‘a rafter.’

  M. Ir. _stóll_;                    O.N. _stóll_, ‘a stool.’

III.

Other interesting loan words are:--

  O. Ir. _armand_, _armann_;       O.N. _ármathr_, ‘an officer.’

  M. Ir. _callaire_;               O.N. _kallari_, ‘a herald.’

  M. Ir. _gunnfann_;               O.N. _gunnfáni_, ‘a battle standard.’

  O. Ir. _erell_; M. Ir. _iarla_;  O.N. _jarl_, ‘an earl.’

  M. Ir. _lagmainn_;[165]          O.N. _lögmenn_, plural of _lögmathr_,
                                       ‘a lawman.’

  M. Ir. _Pers_;[166]              O.N. _berserkr_.

  M. Ir. _sráid_;                  O.N. _straeti_, ‘a street.’

  M. Ir. _sreang_;                 O.N. _strengr_, ‘a string.’

  M. Ir. _tráill_;                 O.N. _thraell_, ‘a slave.’

  M. Ir. _trosg_;                  O.N. _thorskr_, ‘codfish.’

  O. Ir. _ustaing_;                O.N. _hústhing_, ‘an assembly.’

Certain old Norse words and phrases which are to be found in Irish
texts also go to show the familiarity of the Irish with the Norse
language. They may be mentioned here, although they are not loan-words,
but rather attempts on the part of the Irish authors to reproduce the
speech of the foreigners:--

  _cing._[167]                     O.N. _konungr_, or possibly A.S.
                                        _cyning_.

  _conung_ (_Three Fragments of
    Annals_, pp. 126, 194, 228).   O.N. _konungr_, ‘a king.’

  “_Faras Domnall?_” (_War of      “_Hvar es Domhnall?_” “Where
    the Gaedhil with the Gaill_;     is Domhnall?”
    p. 174).

  “_Sund a sniding_,” was the      O. Ir. _sund_, “here.”
    reply.                         O.N. _nithingr_, “here, rascal.”

  fíut (_Book of Leinster_, 172,
    a, 7).                         O.N. _hvítr_, ‘white.’

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Scandinavian Relations with Ireland During the Viking Period

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