09 September 2013

SUMER AND WINTER

Sumerian fertility goddess Ninkharsag

The words summer and winter are both used only once in the OLB.
I can imagine that the oldfrisian word for summer, SÜMER, is related to the name of the ancient civilization in what is now Iraq.

summer - english
sommer - danish, german, norwegian1
simmer - frisian
sommar - swedish, norwegian2
sumar - icelandic, oldnorse, oldsaxon
sumer, somer - oldfrisian
sumor - oldenglish
zomer - dutch
SÜMER - OLB

winter - english, dutch, german, frisian, oldfrisian, oldenglish
vinter - danish, norwegian, swedish
wintar - oldsaxon
vetur - icelandic
vetr - oldnorse
WINTER - OLB

OLB fragments


[049/12] arge tid
HÉL THENE SÜMER WAS SVNNE ÀFTERE WOLKUM SKOLEN 
AS WILDE HJA JRTHA NAVT NE SJA
[O+S p.71]
Geheel den zomer had de zon achter de wolken gescholen,
als wilde zij de aarde niet zien.
During the whole summer the sun had been hid behind the clouds, 
as if unwilling to look upon the earth.


[082/04] denamarka
THES NACHTIS ANDA WINTER BY STORNE TÍDUM 
AS WIND GULDE ÀND HÉJEL TOJENST THA ANDÉRNA FÉTERE
[O+S p.113]
bij nacht in den winter bij stormweder,
terwijl de wind gierde en de hagel tegen de vensters kletterde.
one stormy winter night, 
while the wind roared and the hail rattled against the windows