§ 81. Indirect Norse Elements.-The Normans came from Normandy; but as Normandy took its name from the Northmen who invaded it, it is probable that certain words, though French in their immediate, may be Norse in their remote, origin. Carried from Scandinavia into Normandy, they may, by the Norman Conquest, have been carried farther still, and so have found their way into England. Such words give us an indirect Norse element. Whether few or many, they have yet to be sought for. They are noticed, however, in order that attention may be drawn to the analysis of the Anglo-Norman form of speech; which is, by no means, purely and simply French. In the first place, it may contain Keltic elements; either from the original Gallic or from the neighbouring province of Brittany. In the next, it belongs to one of the most German districts of France: the German elements being of a very complex kind. (a.) Normandy was, more or less, Saxon; i. e. a portion of the occupants of the littus Saxonicum extended themselves as far as the parts about Bayeux, being noticed under the name of Saxones Bajocassini. There is also a notice, in a capitulary of Charles the Bald, A.D. 853, of the Otlinga (?) Saxonica. (b.) It was more or less Scandinavian, as has been already stated: to which it may be added that, in its Scandinavian character, it was Danish rather than Norwegian. This, however, is not the common opinion; the common opinion being that Rolf, Rollo, or Rou, the first conqueror, who died A.D. 931, was a son of Rognvald, Earl of Orkney, a Norwegian. The evidence, however, is that of Snorro Sturleson, who wrote as late as the 13th century. His statement seems to have arisen out of the word Normannus, which, in his time, applied to a Norwegian rather than a Dane. In the ninth and tenth centuries, it applied to Danes and Norwegians indifferently. Meanwhile, the French accounts always call the conquerors of Normandy Danes; a name which they would scarcely give to a Norwegian proper. (c.) Thirdly, it was the occupancy of those Germans whose chiefs bore the names of William, Henry, and Richard, the names of certain dukes of Normandy, and certain kings of England. Who these were is uncertain. It is only certain that the names under notice, though the names of the successors of Rollo, are not Scandinavian. Neither are they Angle. Neither are they exactly Frank. I have given reasons elsewhere for believing that these were Goths. § 82. With these preliminaries we may analyze the German elements of the Anglo-Norman. They chiefly consist of local names-names in which the Teutonic character is greatly disguised. The tot, in Yvetot, Raffetot, Garnetot, Criquetot, Houdetot, Louvetot, Ansetot, Turretot, Eculetot, Tiboutot, Pretot, Valletot, and Sassetot (Saxon) the -toft in Wigtoft, Braytoft, &c. = The -bec, in Bolbec, Caudebec, Carbec, Foulbec, Robec, &c. the beck in Welbeck, &c. = The fleur in Harfleur, Barfleur, Vittefleur, Figuefleur, &c. the fleet in Northfleet, &c. = The -ey in Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Chausey = the -ey in Orkney, &c. The -dale and -tal in Oudale, Crodal, Danestal (Dane), Darnetal, Dieppedal, Croixdal, Bruquedalle, Grandes Dalles, and Petites Dalles, &c. = the -dale in Coverdale, &c. = The -gard in Auppegard and Epegard the English -garth, &c. Finally, the -beuf in Quillebeuf, Painbeuf, Marbeuf, Criquebeuf, &c. the -by in Grimsby, &c. = This last form is exclusively Norse. The others are either Norse or German. AFFINITIES OF THE CHAPTER XV. ENGLISH WITH THE OTHER LAN GUAGES OF GERMANY AND WITH THOSE OF SCANDINAVIA. § 83. Over and above the Old Saxon and Frisian forms of speech, the relations of which to the Anglo-Saxon have been so fully noticed, there are others similarly, though less closely, allied. § 84. Dutch of Holland and Low-German.-The first of these is the DUTCH OF HOLLAND. MARK, chap. i. 1. Het begin des evangelies van Jesus Christ, den Zoon van God. 2. Gelijk geschreven is in de Profeten: ziet, Ik zend mijnen Engel voor uw aangezigt, die uwen weg voor u heen bereiden zal. 3. De stem des roependen in de woestijn: bereidt den weg des Heeren, maakt zijne paden regt! 4. Johannes was doopende in de woestijn, en predikende den doop der bekeering tot vergeving der zonden. 5. En al het Joodsche land ging tot hem uit, en die van Jerûzalem; en werden allen van hem gedoopt in the rivier de Jordaan, belijdende hunne zonden. 6. En Johannes was gekleed met kemelshaar, en met eenen lederen gordel om zijne lendenen, en at sprinkhannen en wilden honig. 7. En hij predikte, zeggende: na mij komt, die sterker is dan ik, wien ik niet waardig ben, nederbukkende, den riem zijner schoenen te ontbinden. 8. Ik heb ulieden wel gedoopt met water, maar hij zal u doopen met den Heiligen Geest. Of the P ovincial Platt-Deutsch specimens are given in chapters VII. and VIII. $ 85. MODERN HIGH-GERMAN. (1.) FROM LESSING'S FABLES. HERKULES. Als Herkules in den Himmel aufgenommen ward, machte er seinen gruss unter allen Göttern der Juno zuerst. Der ganze Himmel und Juno erstaunte darüber. "Deiner Feindin," rief man ihm zu, "begegnest du so vorzüglich?" "Ja, ihr selbst; " erwiederte Herkules. "Nur ihre Verfolgungen sind es, die mir zu den Thaten Gelegenheit gegeben, womit ich den Himmel verdienet habe." Der Olymp billigte die Antwort des neuen Gottes, und Juno ward versöhnt. 66 In English. As Hercules in the Heaven up-taken was, made he his greeting, under (among) all Gods, to Juno at (to) first. The whole Heaven and Juno were astonished thereon (over). Thy female enemy (fiend)," cried they him to, "meetest thou so preferably?" "Yes, herself," answered Hercules, 'only her persecutions are it, which me to the deeds opportunity (have) given, wherewith I the Heaven earned have." The Olympus approved the answer of the new God, and Juno was reconciled. (2.) FROM HERDER. Horch, horch die Lerch' am Himmelsthür singt, Die liebe Sonn' wacht auf; Aus allen Blümkelchen trinkt Sie schon ihr öpfer auf. Das Hochzeitknöspfchen freundlich winkt, Und thut sein Aüglein auf. Was hold und lieb ist, freundlich blinkt, Wach schönes Kind wach auf, Wach auf; Wach schönes Kind wach auf. Literally. Hark! Hark! the lark at Heaven's door sings, The dear (loved) Sun wakes up; Out of all bloom-chalices drinks She (the sun, which is feminine) already their offering up The batchelor's button friendly looks. And does its eye-ling up (=opens little eye). Wake up, &c. (3.) From New Testament, MARK i. 1—8. 1. Diess ist der Anfang des Evangelii von Jesu Christo, dem Sohne Gottes. 2. Als geschrieben stehet in den Propheten: Siehe, Ich sende meinen Engel vor dir her, der da bereite deinen Weg vor dir. 3. Es ist eine Stimme eines Predigers in der Wüste : Bereitet den Weg des Herrn, machet Seine Steige richtig. 4. Johannes der war in der Wüste, taufte und predigte von der Taufe der Busse, zur Vergebung der Sünden. 5. Und es gieng zu ihm hinaus das ganze Jüdische Land, und die von Jerusalem, und liessen sich alle von ihm taufen im Jordan, und bekannten ihre Sünden. 6. Johannes aber war bekleidet mit Kameelshaaren, und mit einem ledernen Gürtel um seine Lenden, und ass Heuschrecken un wilden Honig; 7. Und predigte und sprach: Es kommt einer nach mir, der ist starker, denn ich, dem ich nicht genugsam bin, dass ich mich vor ihm bücke, und die Riemen seiner Schuhe auflöse. 8. Ich taufe euch mit Wasser, aber er wird euch mit dem beiligen Geiste taufen. § 86. Old and Middle High-German.-In its older forms the High-German was spoken in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh centuries, in Suabia, Bavaria, and Franconia. It is in the old High-German that the Krist of Otfrid, the Psalms of Notker, the Canticle of Willeram, the Glosses of Kero, the Vita Annonis, &c., are composed. KRIST, i. 12. (Edit. Graff.) Tho uuarun thar in lante hirta haltente; Zi ín quam boto sconi, engil scinenti; Joh uuurtun sie inliuhte fon himilsgen liohte. |