30 May 2014

WÉRA, LIPPA - lips


The language of the OLB seems to have two different words for lips: LIPPA and WÉRA. Wera/ were was known to mean lip in Oldfrisian (according to the dictionaries of Hettema and Richthofen), but nowadays only varieties of the word have survived in Icelandic and Polish (as far as I know).

vör/ varir - icelandic
warga - polish
wera, were - oldfrisian

The expression "she opened her lips and spoke" is used three times in the OLB (fragments 1c, 1d, 1e).

1. WÉRA = lips

 
a. [005/05] (Ádelas council)
THÀN MOTON ALLE LÉRINGA OVERA WÉRA
JVWERA WIVA ÀND TOGHATERA THÉR.IN STRÁMA.
dan moeten alle leringen (leren, lessen) over de lippen
van uw vrouwen en dochters daarin (brein en hart v.d. kinderen) stromen.
then all teachings must stream from ('over') the lips
of your wives and daughters in there (into the brains and hearts of the children)



b. [009-25] (Ode to Frya)
VNTLVKTON HJRA WÉRA. THAN SWÉGON THA FÜGELON
ÀND NE RORDON THA BLÉDAR NAVT MAR
ontluikten (openden zich) haar lippen, dan zwegen de vogelen
en bewogen (roerden zich) de bladeren niet meer
when her lips opened, the birds fell silent
and the leaves stopped moving

 
c. [064/08] (Kàlta and Minerva)
THA HJA SACH THAT ALLE ÔGON VPPER FÀSTIGATH WÉRON.
ÉPENDE HJU HJRA WÉRA ÀND KÉTH.
Toen ze zag dat alle ogen op haar gevestigd waren,
opende ze haar lippen en sprak:
When she saw that all eyes were aimed at her,
she opened her lips and spoke:



 
d. [083/18] (Franas end)
TO LÔNGA LESTA ÉPENDE HJU HJRA WÉRA ÀNDE KÉTH.
Tenslotte (te lange leste) opende zij haar lippen en sprak:
Finally, she opened her lips and spoke:

 
e. [091/27] (Bruno)
THA HJU THET WORD GUND WAS.
ÉPENDE HJU HJRA FALXA WÉRA ANDE KÉTH.
Toen haar het woord gegund was,
opende ze haar valse lippen en sprak:
When the word (the floor) was given to her,
she opened her evil lips and spoke:

 
f. [161/08] (Gosas council)
NIMMER MÁRE NÉN ÔRE TÁLE OVIR THINA WÉRA NI KVMA TO LÉTANE
nimmer meer een andere taal over uw lippen te laten komen
to never again let another language pass through ('come over') your lips


2. LIP, LIPPA = lip, lips

a. [076/02] (Ulysos)
INNA WANDEL WRDE HJU KÁ.LIP HÉTEN
UT HAWEDE HAT HJARA VNDER.LIP ASEN UTKIKBORED FARUTSTÀK.
in de wandeling werd ze Ká-lip genoemd,
omdat haar onderlip als een uitkijkbord (?) vooruitstak.
she was commonly called Ká-lip,
because her lower lip stuck out like a lookout-board (?).


 
b. [158/13] (Gosas council)
ÉNE TÁLE IN ALLER TONGA ÀND VP ALLER LIPPA
één taal in aller tongen en op aller lippen
one language in the tongues and on the lips of all

28 May 2014

BLÉDAR - leaves

leaf of the linde-tree



[009-07]
THI TEX THÉR FINDA NÉI.LÉT. WAS IN GOLDEN BLÉDAR WRYT
De 'tex' die Finda naliet, was in gouden bladen gegraveerd
The 'tex' that Finda established, was written on golden sheets (litt.: leaves)




[009-25]
VNTLVKTON HJRA WÉRA. THAN SWÉGON THA FÜGELON
ÀND NE RORDON THA BLÉDAR NAVT MAR
ontluikten (openden zich) haar lippen, dan zwegen de vogelen
en bewogen (roerden zich) de bladeren niet meer
when her lips opened, the birds fell silent
and the leaves stopped moving





[064-21]
THÉR MÁKATH HJA HJVD.DÉGON SKRIF.FILT FON POMPA.BLÉDAR
daar maken ze tegenwoordig (heden ten dage) schrijfvilt van pompebladen
there they nowadays make writing-felt from water-lily leaves




[104-17]
HO THET WÉTER TO THA HELLANDA BLÀDAR OF DRUPTE
hoe het water van de hellende bladeren afdrupte
how the water dripped off the tilt leaves

(leaf/ leaves - english)
blad/ bladen, bladeren - dutch
blatt/ blätter - german
blad - danish, swedish, norse
blað - oldnorse, icelandic



In dutch, "sheet of paper" is "BLAD papier" or "VEL papier" (vel = skin).
This may indicate that dried leaves and animal-skins were used to write on (besides felt, according to the OLB).
These are not materials that last long in our climate.

27 May 2014

DRUPPA - to drip, drop

"The Last Drop" (ca.1639), Judith Leyster



[017,02]
ÀJDER BURCH MOT HIRI SELVA BIDRUPPA
Iedere burcht moet zichzelf bedruipen (autark/ zelfvoorzienend zijn).
Every citadel (community) must be autarkic/ self-sufficient.

(metaphor: when frying meat, dripping it with its own fat)

Van wat houts,
dat vercoft was int Haghe hout,
omdattet die stoven van den houte,
dat ghebesicht was ter feeste,
niet bedrupen en soude
(1343)


Si en sijn niet ghelike nat,
die men mit enen water beghiet:
die een bedrupet ende dander niet
(ca. 1411)


(be-) druipen, druppen, druppelen - dutch
to drip, to drop - english
tropfen - german
dryppe - danish, norse
droppa - swedish
dropi - icelandic



[104,16]
HJU HÉDE SJAN HO THET WÉTER
TO THA HELLANDA BLADAR OF DRUPTE.
Ze had gezien hoe het water
van de hellende bladeren afdrupte.
She had seen how the water 
dripped off the tilt leaves.

drupte, druipte, druppelde, droop - dutch
dripped, dropped - english
tropfte - german
drypper - norse
dryppede - danish
droppade - swedish
draup - icelandic



[106,08]
SKÁM.RÁD WÀRTH THEN MAN
ÀN HI DRUPTE STOLKES HINNE.
Rood van schaamte (schaamrood) werd de man
en hij droop stilletjes af (heen).
The man blushed for shame (litt. 'became shame-red'), 
and silently slunk (metaphor: litt. 'dripped') away.


"Dewdrop" (1948), M.C. Escher

08 May 2014

Bread and Salt


[118/07]
HJA HÀVON THIN SALT PROVAD ÀND THIN BRÀD ÉTEN
Zij hebben uw zout geproefd en uw brood gegeten.
They have tasted your salt and eaten your bread.


[119/11]
IN SINA HANDA HÉDI.N SKILD HÉRVP WAS BRÀD ÀND SALT LÉID.
In zijn handen had hij een schild, hierop was brood en zout gelegd.
In his hand he held a shield on which bread and salt were laid.


[121/18]
THA ALEXANDRE AFTERNÉI BRÀD ÀND SALT MITH IM DÉLADE.
Toen Alexander daarna brood en zout met hem deelde,
When Alexander later shared bread and salt with him,


salt - english, oldfrisian (1), icelandic, swedish, norse, danish
saut - oldfrisian (2)
zout - dutch
salz - german
sâlt - newfrisian
sal - spanish, portuguese
sale - italian
sel - french

bread - english

brad, brae - oldfrisian
brood - dutch
brot - german
brød - danish, norse
bröd - swedish
brauð - icelandic
brea - newfrisian


Some proverbs with bread and salt

Arab:
- Between me and him it's bread and salt. (friendship or reconciliation)
- Who ate bread and salt with you, will not betray you.

Russian:
- Eat bread and salt and speak the truth.

Crete (Greece):
- Follow the council of old people and married people. They ate much bread and salt.

German:
- Salz und Brot gebe Gott, dann hat's keine Not. (May God give salt and bread, then there's no need/ hardship.)
- Salz und Brot macht Wangen rot. (Salt and bread make cheeks red.)
- Brot und Salz machen selbst die Räuber demütig. (Bread and salt will humble even thieves.)