Chapter VI · LINGUISTIC INFLUENCES.
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(a) Loan-words from Old Norse in Irish.
The large number of loan-words from Old Norse which occur in Old and Middle Irish indicate clearly the extent and character of Scandinavian influence in Ireland. They are therefore interesting from an historical point of view, for they confirm, and sometimes supplement, the evidence of Irish and Icelandic sources, that the relations existing between the two peoples were largely of a friendly character.
As the subject has already been fully dealt with by Celtic scholars,[163] only the more important loan words are given here:—
I. Dress[164] and Armour.
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 the Gaedhil with the Gaill; p. 174).“Hvar es Domhnall?” “Where is Domhnall?”
“Sund a sniding,” was the reply.O. Ir. sund, “here.” O.N. nithingr, “here, rascal.”
fíut (Book of Leinster, 172, a, 7).O.N. hvítr, ‘white.’
Infuit, a personal name; War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, p. 78.O.N. hvítr, ‘white.’
litill (ibid., p. 84).O.N. lítill, ‘little.’
mikle (Three Fragments of Annals, p. 176).O.N. míkill, ‘much.’
nui, nui (ibid, p. 164).[168]O.N. knúe, from knýja, ‘to advance.’
roth.[169]O.N. rauthr, ‘red.’
(b) Gaelic Words in Old Norse Literature.[170]
Considering the close connection between Ireland and Iceland, especially in the tenth and eleventh centuries, it is surprising that so few Gaelic words found their way into Old Norse literature. The only Norse words that can be said, with any certainty, to be derived from Irish, are the following:—
bjannak (Ynglingasaga, Heimskringla, ch. 2):Ir. bennacht, ‘a blessing.’
erg (Orkneyinga Saga, ch. 113)Ir. airghe, (1) ‘a herd of cattle.’ (2) ‘grazing land.’
gelt;[171]Ir. geilt, ‘a madman.’
varth at gjalti, to become mad with fear. Cf. Eyrbyggja Saga, ch. 18.
ingian;Ir. inghean, ‘a girl.’
kapall (Fornmanna Sögur II., p. 231);Ir. capall, ‘a horse.’
kesja;Ir. ccis, ‘a spear.’
korki (Snorres Edda, II., 493);Ir. coirce, ‘oats.’
kross;Ir. cros, ‘a cross.’
kuaran;Ir. cuaran, ‘a shoe’ (made of skin).
kúthi;[172]? Ir. cuthach, ‘fierce.’
male diarik;[173]Ir. mallacht duit, a rig, ‘a curse upon you, O king.’
minnthak;[174]Ir. mintach, ‘made of meal.’
ríg (in Rígsmál);Ir. ri(g), ‘a king.’
tarfr (Eyrbyggia Saga, ch. 63, etc.)Ir. tarbh, ‘a bull.’
(c) Irish Influence on Icelandic Place-nomenclature.
A number of the place-names mentioned in the Landnámabók[175] contain a Gaelic element which, with one or two exceptions, is present in the form of a personal name. Among these Icelandic place-names we may note the following:—
Personal Name.
Bekkanstathir;Ir. Beccán.
(1) Branslackr, (also (2) Brjamslackr);Ir. (1) Bran, (2) Brian.
Dufansdalir;Ir. Dubhan.
Dufthaksholt; also Dufthakskor; etc.Ir. Dubhthach.
Kalmansá; also Kalmanstunga.Ir. Colmán.
Kjallakshöll, Kjallaksstathir;Ir. Ceallach.
Kjaransvík;Ir. Ciarán.
Kylansholar;Ir. Culen (Marstrander).
(1) Lunansholt or (2) Lumansholt;Ir. (1) Lon-án (2) Lommán.
Minnthakseyr;Ir. mintach, ‘made of meal.’
Papýli, Papey;Ir. ‘papa,’ ‘an anchorite.’
Patreksfjörthr;Ir. personal name Patraic.