A Handbook of Scandinavian Names

Definitions

183 Definitions Diminutive—used in connection with names implies smallness, either referring to a small person or as a token of affection. Element—in our context, a part of a name. In contrast to a prefix or suffix, an element is a word that can stand by itself, or be combined with other elements to produce different names, e.g., Bjørn, Bjørnhild; Alf, Alvin, Alfhild. Matronymic—a name derived from the given name of one’s mother, with the suffix meaning ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ attached to it, e.g., Ingridsson, Astridsdotter. In theory, such a name might be a primary or secondary matronymic (see patronymic, below), but examples of such a practice are certainly rare, if they exist at all. Middle Ages—in European history, a period of about a thousand years beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century and ending with the beginning of the modern period in the sixteenth century. In Scandinavian history, the Middle Ages usually refers to the period following the Viking Age, ca. 1050–1536. This period coincides with the introduction of Christianity (the Catholic Church) around the year 1000, and ends with the Reformation, which split the Church into Catholic and Protestant branches. The period is usually divided into three parts. A comparison of the Middle Ages in European and Scandinavian history is shown in the table below. Period Name European Middle Ages Scandinavian Middle Ages Early Middle Ages 500–1000 1050–1200 High Middle Ages 1000–1300 1200–1400 Late Middle Ages 1300–1536 1400–1536 Nordic countries—the preferred term for Scandinavia in the Northern European region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. Recently, Estonia, usually considered a Baltic country, has made claim to belonging to the Nordic region. The claim is based on its language, which is related to Finnish, and the fact that it was under either Danish or Swedish rule during much of its history. Norse—adjective referring to the language and culture of Scandinavia during the Viking Age (ca. 750–1050) and for another three hundred years into the Middle Ages. Norsemen—the people living in present-day Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, and in the colonies belonging to this area during the Viking Age. Norse mythology—the literature (beliefs, myths, and legends) based on the pre-Christian religion in the North Germanic area, including the Scandinavian countries. Old Norse—the language in Norway and its colonies, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland, ca. 700–1350. Note that whereas the terms Norse, Norsemen, and Norse mythology also include Denmark and Sweden, the language Old Norse does not. Old Danish and Old Swedish refer to Viking Age Danish and Swedish. 184 Definitions Patronymic—a name derived from the given name of one’s father, with the suffix meaning ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ attached to it, e.g., Nilsson, Nilsen; Nilsdotter, Nilsdatter. Such a name may be a primary or secondary patronymic. A primary patronymic changes with each generation, as it is always based on the father’s name. A secondary patronymic is one that originally was a primary patronymic, but has been passed on to the grandchildren of the original father, and on down through the generations. Prefix—a group of letters added to the beginning of a word, thus forming a new word and changing its meaning. Common prefixes in English are re, ex, and anti. Scandinavia—strictly speaking, the geographical area encompassing the Scandinavian peninsula (Norway and Sweden) and Denmark. The word Scandinavia is probably derived from the name Skåne, the southernmost part of the Scandinavian peninsula and now in present-day Sweden. Scandinavia is usually construed to include the rest of the countries in this area that have similar languages and/or cultures: Iceland and Finland, as well as the remaining colonies, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. A more correct term for the whole area is the Nordic countries. Suffix—a group of letters added to the end of a word, thus forming a new word and changing its meaning. Common suffixes in English are ly, less, and ful. ...