GRÀVA, DELVA - grave, delve

As a sequel to the previous post about "(BI-) DOBBA", a study of the words "(BI-) DELVA" and "(BI-) GRÀVA".

The Dutch toponyms Delft and Graft are both derived from these verbs.

graf (-steen) - dutch
grave (-stone) - english
grab (-stein) - german
gröf (-steinn) - icelandic
grav (-sten, -stein) - swedish, norse, danish
grêf (-stien) - frisian
gref (-sten) - oldfrisian

gracht, graft - dutch, german
grøft - danish
vallgrav - swedish
vollgrav - norse
virkisgröf - icelandic

(op-) graven, delven - dutch
grewa, greua, delua - oldfrisian
delban, telban, delfan - oldsaxon, oldgerman, oldenglish
grêven, dolle - frisian
grafa - icelandic
gräva, gruva - swedish
grave, gruve - norse, danish
graben (schaufeln) - german
to delve (dig) - english

begraven, bedelven - dutch
bidelua, bedelua - oldfrisian
begrave - danish, norse
begrava - swedish
begraben - german
begroeven - frisian
(to burry - english)

====
{fragment number, below}

 ### verbs

HJA DELVATH {9} ze delven, graven op
DÀLVA {1} delven, opgraven
TO DÀLVANE {3} delven, begraven
TO DELVANE {14,15,17} delven, (op-)graven
BIDVLWEN {2,4} bedolven, begraven, verborgen
BIDELVEN {16} bedolven, overspoeld

IS BIGRÀVEN {7b} is begraven
WAS GRÀVEN {10b} was gegraven

### nouns

GRÀFT {8,10a,11,12} gracht
GRÀF.STÉN, GRÀFSTÉN {6,7ac} grafsteen
GRÁWA {5} graven (plur.)
GRÀVA {13} idem
GRÉVUM {18} idem
GRÉVA {19} idem

==== OLB fragments

1 [010/10] (Lyda, Finda, Frya)
MÉT.AL UT JRTHA DÀLVA
metaal uit de aarde delven
delve metal out of the earth

2 [011/01] (Lyda, Finda, Frya)
BUTA HIRA TEX WAS THÉR.IN ELLA BIDVLWEN
buiten (behalve) haar Tex was daarin alles bedolven
except her Tex, all was burried (covered, hidden) in there

3 [013/01] (Tex Fryas)
HJARA ASKE FIFTICH FÍT ANDA GRVND TO DÀLVANE
hun as vijftig voet (diep) in de de grond te begraven (delven)
to burry their ashes fifty feet (deep) in the ground

4 [049/27] (àrge tid)
THAT ELLA VNDERE SÉ BIDVLWEN WERE
dat alles onder de zee bedolven was
that all was hidden (burried) under the sea

5 [085/01] (Frana)
MITHA NACHTFÜGLUN TO THA GRÁWA OMMEWÁRA
met de nachtvogels bij de graven rondwaren
haunt the graves with the nightbirds

6 [096/26] (ode to Adela)
THRJU BERN WÉRON VP JENSKE GRÀF.STÉN SPRONGEN
drie kinderen waren op gindse (die ... daar) grafsteen gesprongen
three kids had jumped on that gravestone overthere

7 [097/23] (ode to Adela)
BY THA GRÀFSTÉN (...) IS MÀM HIRA LIK BIGRÀVEN.
VPPJRA GRÀF.STÉN HETH MÀN THISSA WORDA HWRYTEN
Bij de grafsteen (...) is Mam haar lijk begraven.
Op haar grafsteen heeft men deze woorden gegrift.
At that gravestone (...) Mom her body was burried.
On her gravestone these words were written.

8 [106/24] (Apollánjas burch)
EN GRÀFT. DIAP THRIJA SJVGUN FÉT WÍD THRIJA TWILIF FÉT
een gracht, diep drie x zeven voet, wijd drie x twaalf voet
a canal, deep three x seven feet, wide three x twelve feet

9 [109/13] (Apollánjas fárt)
THÉR DELVATH HJA ÍSER JRTHA
daar delven ze ijzererts
there they dig up iron-ore (-earth)

10 [110/31] (Apollánjas fárt)
ABEFTA THÉRE FLÍT WAS EN GRÀFT GRÀVEN
achter die vliet was een gracht gegraven
behind that river a canal was dug

11 [111/04] (Apollánjas fárt)
A BÉDE SÍDA THÉRE GRÀFT
aan beide zijden der gracht
on both sides of the canal

12 [116/30] (Fréthorik)
THI GRÀFT THÉR FONT ALDERGÁ THWERES TO THET LAND THRVCH HLÁPEN HÉDE
de gracht die van het Aldergá dwars door het land gelopen had
the canal that had run from Aldergá straight through the land

13 [127/23] (Ljudgért)
VP VSA GRÀVA GRÁJA ÀND HULA
op onze graven schreien (schreeuwen, grienen) en huilen
cry and howl on our graves

14 [134/29] (Jes-us)
VMBE MÉT.AL TO DELVANE
om metaal te delven
to delve (dig up) metal

15 [137/16] (Jes-us)
TO DELVANE TO ERANE ÀND TO SÉJANE
te delven, te ploegen en te zaaien
to delve (dig), to plough and to sow

16 [143/14] (Koneréd)
THRVCH THENE SALTA SÉ BIDELVEN
door de zoute zee bedolven (overspoeld)
overwhelmed (flooded) by the salt sea

17 [143/28] (Koneréd)
THRVCH SLÁTA TO DELVANE ÀND KÁDIKA TO MÁKJANE
Door sloten te delven en kadijken te maken
by delving ditches and making quay-dikes

18 [192/24] (Rika)
JOW SKINA SKILUN VRFÉRTH FON UT.A GRÉVUM RÍSA
uw schimmen ('schijnen') zullen vervaard (angstig) vanuit de graven rijzen
your ghosts ('shines') will rise frightened out of the graves

19 [203/16] (Askar)
THÀT BLOD SÍGATH INNA JOWRE GRÉVA
het bloed zijgt (stroomt langzaam) in uw graven
the blood (slowly) streams into your graves


===

Two fragments related to the concept 'gravestone':

[009/02] (Finda)
VNDER KESTLIKE STÉNA LÉIDON HJA HJRA LIK DÀL
onder kostelijke (kostbare) stenen legden ze haar lijk neer
under costly stones they laid down her corpse

[028/29] (stuurwetten)
VMBE HIRA FRYA.DULF EN STÉN TO TO WJANDE
om haar (omgekomen) vrijer een steen toe te wijden
to dedicate a stone to her (perished) lover

BIDOBBA ~ dobbe, tobbe, doop

(Also see 2017 blog post: BIDOBBA, as a matter of speaking)

"Frisian king Radbod refuses baptism"

Other NW-European words for "baptism" and "to baptize" are:

doop, dopen - Dutch
dåp, døpe - Norse
dop, döpa - Swedish
dåb, døbe - Danish
Taufe, taufen - German

According to Dutch etymology, these words are derived from 4th century Gothic:

It is usually assumed that the Christian meaning of the word arose in Gothic. Bishop Wulfila, who translated the bible into Gothic in the 4th century, used 'daupjan' for the Greek word 'báptein' (to submerge, dip). This meaning would have arrived in Bavaria (Germany) with the Gothic missionaries, and from there have spread over continental Europe.

(original text: Vaak wordt aangenomen dat de christelijke betekenis van het woord is ontstaan in het Gotisch. Bisschop Wulfila, die in de 4e eeuw de bijbel in het Gotisch vertaalde, gaf Grieks báptein ‘onderdompelen, dopen’ met daupjan weer. Deze betekenis zou dan met de Gotische missie naar Beieren (Duitsland) zijn gekomen en zich van daaruit over het vasteland van Europa hebben verbreid.)
  

Edgar Degas, "le tub" (1886)

Let's see what etymologists say about:

tub - English, French
tobbe - Dutch

"late 14c., from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, or Middle Flemish tubbe, of uncertain origin" (etymonline: tub)

"Origin unknown. [...] Might be connected to old-Dutch 'dobbo' - waterpool, but then the t- can't be explained." (etymologiebank: tobbe) The German word 'taufen' (see above) serves as an example how words with d- can change into t-.

(original text: Herkomst onbekend. [...] Misschien is het te verbinden met onl. dobbo ‘waterpoel’, maar dan is de t- niet te verklaren.)

The old-Dutch and Frisian noun 'dobbe' means dibhole, a dug pit filled with water, a puddle, pool or pond. (source1, source2, source3)

This word is related to the old-Dutch verb 'dobben' or 'dubben' - to dig (the modern word is 'graven').

Modern Frisian still has the verb 'bedobje' - to burry, overwhelm, hide (in the ground or in water).

Codex Oera Linda has 5 fragments with the same verb BIDOBBA, of which #1 and #3 have the litteral meaning, and the others a metaphorical one (to win over - Dutch: inpalmen):

 
1 [049/28] (àrge tid)
FÉLO MÀNNISKA WRDON IN JRTHA BIDOBBEN
veel mensen werden in de aarde bedolven
many people were burried in the earth

 
2 [056/14] (Wodin)
THÉRA THÉR MÁR HILDON FON HJARA BALG AS FON THÀT RJUCHT.
THAM LÉTON HINI BIDOBBA
zij die meer hielden van hun pens, als van het recht,
die lieten zich inpalmen)
those who loved their stomach more than justice ('the right'),
they let him win (them) over

 
3 [115/25] (Fréthorik)
ANNA WOLFA.MONATH LÉIDON THA DÉNE MARKA
FON FRYA.S LÁND VNDER NE SÉ BIDOBBEN.
In de Wolvenmaand lagen de 'déne' (lage, gedane*) marken
van Fryasland onder een zee bedolven.
In the wolvesmonth the 'déne' (low*) marks
of Fryasland laid burried under a sea. 
(*Denmark, Denemarken)

 
4 [126/01] (Ljudgért)
ÉL.ET THORP IN ROW BIDOBBEN
heel het dorp in rouw gedompeld (bedolven)
the whole village dipped (burried) in grief

 
5 [149/18] (Friso)
HO FRISO ALLE TO BIDOBBE WISTE
hoe Friso allen wist in te palmen
how Friso succeeded in winning them all over

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Possibly also related:
deep - English
diep - Dutch
dyb - danish
dyp - norse
djup - swedish
djúpt - icelandic
djip - frisian
tief - German

TJAN JÉR LÉDEN

Three fragments referring to something that happened ten years earlier or later:


[068/19] (about Jon)
10 JÉR AFTER JON WÉI.BRIT WAS
Tien jaar nadat Jon weggebracht (vertrokken, verbannen) was
Ten years after Jon was 'brought away' (expelled)


[117/29] (by Fréthorik)
TJAN JÉR LÉTTERE KÉMON THA STJURA
Tien jaren later kwamen de stuurlui
Ten years later the navigators came

[144/28] (by Koneréd)
THA.S NV THJAN JÉR LÉDEN
dat is nu tien jaren geleden
that is now ten years ago

TJAN JÉR - aldfryas
ten years - english
tien jaar - dutch
zehn Jahre - german
ti år - danish, norse
tio år - swedish
tíu ár - icelandic

And two fragments with just the word "ten":


[007/32] (about Finda)
HWÉR LYDA ANNEN LAVWA MACHT TO DÉJANDE
THÉR DÁDE HJA-WEL TJÀN
waar Lyda één leeuw vermocht te (kon) doden,
daar doodde zij wel tien
where Lyda could kill one lion,
she killed ten



[020/26] (common laws)
[T]HENE MÀRK.RJUCHTER ÀND SINUM HELPAR.
FIF DÉLA [MÀRK.JELD.TJAN DELA] [...]
THÀT THORP TJAN DÉLA.
de marktrechter en zijn helpers
vijf delen, marktgeld tien delen, (...)
het dorp tien delen
the market-judge and his helpers
five parts, market fee ten parts, (...)
the village ten parts

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

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.

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

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.)