The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1961, Qupperneq 29

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
27
sogelser om det gamle nordiske eller
islandske Sprogs Oprindelse (Some
Observations of the Orgin of the Old
Norse or the Icelandic Language).
A famous Danish philologist later
remarked on Rask’s work as beins: of
‘so great an importance that it may
properly be said to have laid the foun-
dation upon which the whole modern
comparative philology rests”. (Island-
ica XII, p. 30).
In short, Rask, in the above work,
laid down the principles of Grimm’s
Law, previously mentioned in this art-
icle. The German philologist expanded
the law, but Rask should nevertheless
get the credit for introducing it. Says
L. F. A. Wimmer: ‘‘We should not talk
about Grimm’s Law in this connection,
but rather of Rask’s Law”, (transl. from
Danish, see Islandica XII, p. 30).
I know of nothing which could be of
greater encouragement to people who
maintain that Icelandic should, on ac-
count of its philological values, occupy
a respected place in the language
departments of our universities, than
the fact that through research on its
origin a philological law “upon which
the whole modern comparative philol-
ogy rests” was established.
The writer has benefited from the following works: Alexander Jdhannesson, Islenzk tunga i
fornold, Reykjavik 1924; Hallddr Halldorsson, Islenzk malfraSi handa aeSri skolum, Reykjavik
1950;Adolf Noreen, Altislandische und Altnorwegische Grammatik, Halle 1884; Joseph Wright,
Grammar of the Gothic Language, Oxford 1949; Edward Sapir, Language, New York 1957 (first
published in 1921); Bjorn M. Olsen, Minningarrit gefiS lit af hinu islenzka Bbkmenntafelagi,
Reykjavik 1888; Hallddr Hermannsson, Modern Icelandic (IslandicaXII, Ithaca, New York, 1919.
HALLGRIMUR HALLGRIMSSON VISITS BOYHOOD DISTRICT
Hallgrimur Hallgrimsson, consul-
general of Canada in Iceland and son
of the late Rev. H. F. Hallgrimsson
who in pioneer days was pastor of the
Lutheran Church at Baldur, Man.,
took time out from his tour of Can-
ada this summer with the president of
Iceland, Hon. Asgeir Asgeirsson, to
visit his old home town. Halli, as he
was known to friends and schoolmates,
was born in the Grund district adjac-
ent to Baldur and with the family
moved in 1905 to Baldur where he
received his public and high school
education. He went to Iceland with
his father in 1925 and was employed
by the Shell Oil Company there of
which he is now president. Mr. Hall-
grimsson, spent a day at Baldur meet-
ing old friends and visiting the hospit-
al, the new school and the new curling
rink. They also visited the Lutheran
Church where his father preached for
more than 20 years. Mrs. Hallgrimsson
is a sister of Hon. Thor Thors, Ambas-
sador of Iceland to the United States
and Canada.