Old Norse nicknames

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. April 2015. Major: Germany Studies. Advisors: Anatoly Liberman, Kaaren Grimstad. 1 computer file (PDF); v, 273 pages, appendix p. 266-273. Nicknames, which occur in all cultures and time periods, play an important role in highlighting identity and provide...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Peterson, Paul R.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11299/172669
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spelling ftunivminnesdc:oai:conservancy.umn.edu:11299/172669 2023-05-15T16:48:30+02:00 Old Norse nicknames Peterson, Paul R. 2015-04 http://hdl.handle.net/11299/172669 en eng http://hdl.handle.net/11299/172669 Medieval Nicknames Old Icelandic Old Norse Onomastics Sagas Germanic studies Thesis or Dissertation 2015 ftunivminnesdc 2020-02-02T14:48:12Z University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. April 2015. Major: Germany Studies. Advisors: Anatoly Liberman, Kaaren Grimstad. 1 computer file (PDF); v, 273 pages, appendix p. 266-273. Nicknames, which occur in all cultures and time periods, play an important role in highlighting identity and provide a window into popular culture. The function of nicknames in the Middle Ages is peculiar, however, when men (as in medieval Iceland) would kill for a carelessly dropped word if it was considered to be detrimental to their honor, yet often tolerated the most demeaning nicknames. The quantity of nicknames in Old Norse literature is incomparably rich, and recurring nicknames provide a tool for understanding saga transmission, cultural history, slang, and etymology. The pool of first names was limited in Old Norse society; thus, many people were identified by not only their first names but also their nicknames. Narrative explanations of nicknames in the literature are numerous, and, although most come in the form of a brief anecdote, several examples expand on a character's biography and play a role in the shaping the plot. Such explanations of nickname origins are often also found in other sagas and medieval Scandinavian literature. Several categories of nicknames are found in Old Norse literature, such as those describing physical features, mental characteristics, and one's deeds or habits (good or bad). An alphabetic list of the nicknames from the compendium of settlers in Iceland called Landnámabók (The Book of Settlements) provides examples of the many types of nicknames and describes them in light of their linguistic origin. Thesis Iceland University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy Grimstad ENVELOPE(14.574,14.574,68.750,68.750)
institution Open Polar
collection University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy
op_collection_id ftunivminnesdc
language English
topic Medieval
Nicknames
Old Icelandic
Old Norse
Onomastics
Sagas
Germanic studies
spellingShingle Medieval
Nicknames
Old Icelandic
Old Norse
Onomastics
Sagas
Germanic studies
Peterson, Paul R.
Old Norse nicknames
topic_facet Medieval
Nicknames
Old Icelandic
Old Norse
Onomastics
Sagas
Germanic studies
description University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. April 2015. Major: Germany Studies. Advisors: Anatoly Liberman, Kaaren Grimstad. 1 computer file (PDF); v, 273 pages, appendix p. 266-273. Nicknames, which occur in all cultures and time periods, play an important role in highlighting identity and provide a window into popular culture. The function of nicknames in the Middle Ages is peculiar, however, when men (as in medieval Iceland) would kill for a carelessly dropped word if it was considered to be detrimental to their honor, yet often tolerated the most demeaning nicknames. The quantity of nicknames in Old Norse literature is incomparably rich, and recurring nicknames provide a tool for understanding saga transmission, cultural history, slang, and etymology. The pool of first names was limited in Old Norse society; thus, many people were identified by not only their first names but also their nicknames. Narrative explanations of nicknames in the literature are numerous, and, although most come in the form of a brief anecdote, several examples expand on a character's biography and play a role in the shaping the plot. Such explanations of nickname origins are often also found in other sagas and medieval Scandinavian literature. Several categories of nicknames are found in Old Norse literature, such as those describing physical features, mental characteristics, and one's deeds or habits (good or bad). An alphabetic list of the nicknames from the compendium of settlers in Iceland called Landnámabók (The Book of Settlements) provides examples of the many types of nicknames and describes them in light of their linguistic origin.
format Thesis
author Peterson, Paul R.
author_facet Peterson, Paul R.
author_sort Peterson, Paul R.
title Old Norse nicknames
title_short Old Norse nicknames
title_full Old Norse nicknames
title_fullStr Old Norse nicknames
title_full_unstemmed Old Norse nicknames
title_sort old norse nicknames
publishDate 2015
url http://hdl.handle.net/11299/172669
long_lat ENVELOPE(14.574,14.574,68.750,68.750)
geographic Grimstad
geographic_facet Grimstad
genre Iceland
genre_facet Iceland
op_relation http://hdl.handle.net/11299/172669
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