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Germanic Lexicon Project
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Author: Claudio Lo Monaco
Email: claudio dot lm at tiscali dot it
Date: 2005-06-01 12:30:17
Subject: Old Icelandic case endings in compound names
I have found this board while delving thru the web. Having a problem about Old Icelandic, I’m hoping that you may help me in finding the right solution.
First, an excerpt I found in “answers.com”:
Þorgeirr blundr, systursonr Egils, … (normalized, Old Icelandic spelling)
Þorgeir blundur, systursonur Egils, … (Modern Icelandic)
Both Old and Modern Icelandic, apart from the insertion of a euphonic u before r, show in systurson(u)r, “sister’s son”, the genitive ending in syst-ur and the nominative ending in son-(u)r.
On the other end, I find the name of the harðráði written Haraldr Sigurðarson (or Haraldur Sigurðarson), “Harald Sigurd’s son”, with genitive ending in Sigurð-ar, but without the nominative ending in son, although, when in genitive, it has the proper case ending. Cf. Haralds saga Sigurðarsonar. Why so?
I understand there is a catch somewhere, but I am unable to find where. Can you solve my problem?
Please forgive any possible blunder in my English.
Claudio Lo Monaco