Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1968, Page 98

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More on Faroese Bird Names
fishermen must have found it comforting to be able to call
an unlucky bird a seal.
Drunnhvíti
It is time to reconsider this, today the most familiar name
for the stormy petrel. As stated in FBN, 66f., the name is
peculiar in that it contains drunnur ‘rump with tail’ ottherwise
used only of cattle and sheep, the normal word for bird’s
tail being vel. From what has been noticed above about the
play of humour in tthe creation of bird names, it becomes
apparent that the reason for this exceptional use of drunnur
is to be sought in name taboo, the ridiculous-sounding name
being thus evasive. With suoh a term, the seamen could refer
with impunity to tthe uncanny bird. Procellaria of the storms,
at any rate, would never realise that she could be so disrespect-
fully nicknamed.
Vendingarfuglur
Faroese has produced several designations for t'he stormy
petrel, the evidence suggesting that all will have been evasive
in the first instance. At any rate this consideration must cer-
tainly apply to vendingarfuglur, a name of the vague type,
based on vending ‘turn’, here specifically ‘turn of the current’;
the bird was said to be seen most wihen the current was
changing (Fróð., XIII, 52). Tihis name comes from FIov.
Obviously, the Hovbingar must have known one or other of
the more usual names, but apparently preferred not to employ
them. Their superstition led them to create, as a harmless
euphemism, this rather clumsy term of their own.
HypFmgur
It was demonstrated in Fróð., XIII, 47ff., that hyplingur
is the correct etymological spelling of the name of the cormo-
rant, permitting us to accept the derivation from huppur ‘hip’,
the bird being then named after the conspicuous white patch
on the flanks (hyplingsblettur). Perhaps just a suggestion of