Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1955, Side 24

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Soppur í føroyskum og sopp'í írskum
setingini marsoppur (mar sop(p)) hava varðveitt gamla
norrøna merking av orðinum soppur, hava tá ið orðið var
ósamansett, verið fyri geliskari ávirkan. Soppur fekk frá
írska orðinum sop(p) merkingina «hoysoppur» og misti
soleiðis tær upprunaligu merkingarnar. Vit kunnu eisini
siga, at tað írska orðið otaði tað norrøna burtur. Tann,
sum veit eitt sindur um tað sløð av geliskum orðum, sum
er til í málinum t. d. í íslandi og í Føroyutn, verður ikki
bilsin, um hann finnur orðið fyri hoysopp at vera komið
úr írskum. Tað er nóg mikið at nevna slík hvønndagsorð
sum før. tarvur (ísl. tarfur) og før. blak (eldri før. *blaðak,
sbr. orkn. blatho, hjaltl. bleddik), sum koma av gelisku
orðunum tarbh og blathach.
SUMMARY
Early in the Viking Age there was a word in Norway soppr m.
used of «fungus». A compound of this is *marsoppr «sea»fungus»
which is unknown today except in Shetland Norn marsopp and
Faroese marsoppur. It is used to denote a porous or spongedike
mass which occasionally drifts ashore. Zoologists tell us that such
things are really clusters of (emty) egg capsules from the common
whelk, though those who gave them a name can hardly have known
that. Marsoppur is now virtually extinct in Faroese, having been
replaced by lættisoppur, also used of anything very light or of
people who are uncertain in their opinions or who have none at all.
The simplex Far. soppur, Shetl. sipp [sap, (sip)] has a meaning, how*
ever, which ill accords with Norse, for it means a «wisp of hay», e.g.
as is given to cattle. In medieval Norwegian and Icelandic writings
soppr is attested on!y in the meaning of «ball (to play with)»; a side«
form svoppr has these meanings: 1. «sponge» (Ms. from 14th C., acc.
pl. uáta suoppu), 2. «tumour» (Ms. from 15th C., cf. Alfræði ts«
lands III 79), 3. «ball (to play with)». In medieval Norwegian ballads
sopp has only the meaning «ball», in present.day Norwegian the main
meaning is «fungus» with the following specialised meanings: «tumour
on trees, tinder (on trees)» «ball made of polypotus betulinus Fr.»,
«rhizome of nymphaea» and «ball of such rhizome». In modern Ices
landic down to the 19th C. soppur meant «ball» (now usually bolti),