Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1970, Blaðsíða 182

190
Faroese Bird-Name Origins
compared with Dutch wulp, Fris. wylp, imitative names for
Numenius.
Diverse as they are, these names have a common origin in
onomatopoea, as reference to any bird book at once makes
understandable. W. Makatsch, Die Vógel Europas, 1966, 271,
characterises the curlew’s voice as “klangvoll, laut und
flotend tla-ii, der trillernde Balzruf des Mánnchens klingt wie
tui, tui, triiih. .. .”, while the whimbrel utters (272) “klang-
volle auf- und absinkende Rufreihen, die wie tútje. . . .
klingen.” E. Sandars, A Bird Book for the Pocket, 1945, 170,
describes the curlew’s voice as “wild, far-reaching ‘curlew!’,
also long bubbling note” and the whimbrel’s similarly, only
“shriller”. We remember that, in favourable conditions, the
cry can be heard as much as a mile away, so that many have
heard Numenius, who have never seen him. M. á Ryggi re-
minds us of the calls, too: (Fuglabókin, 40) “Spógvin kemur
... .og... .hoyra vit hansara vakra mál í bø og haga....”,
(42) Tangspógvi. . . .Harðmæltur er hann; eitt snjalt ‘hújid’
hoyrist.... ”
There is no need to consider here the difficulties inherent
in the analysis of bird cries or the problems of their represen-
tation in writing. Suffice it to say that some species have a
wide vocal range and among these are the curlew and the
whimbrel, hence also the corresponding variety of onoma-
topoeic names illustrated above. At this point it only remains
to be noted that ON spói fits as easily into this broad imitative
category as it does into the well-known class of masculine
nouns. The name is undoubtedly of onomatopoeic origin.
ORTAK
Fyrst verður havtyrðil »drunnhv!ti« samanborið við íslendskt haf-
tyrðill »fulkobbi«, og sýnt verður, at líkt er til, at føroyska merkingin
er ikki upprunalig. Síðan verður drigið fram, at bókstavliga merkingin
av bárufjatla »gjøðr« og bárufjarta o. s. fr. »fulkobbi, drunnhvíti«, t. e.
ávikavist »aldu-hoppari« og »aldu-gangari«, bendir á, at hesi nøvn upp-
runaliga hava bert verið nýtt um drunnhvítan. Møguligur ljóðhermingar-