Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1971, Page 109

Some Notes on Faroese Bird Names
By Hakon Hamre.
Fulkobbi, fulkubbi
In his article, “More on Faroese Bird Names”, Fró'ðskapar-
rit 16. bók (1968), W. B. Lockwood discusses the name of the
little auk fulkobbi, p. 105. He concludes that the second ele-
ment of the name is identical with the word kobbi m. “seal”,
while the first element is more uncertain, and could be either
full- “full”, or fugl- “bird”, or maybe fúl- “foul”. Earlier, in
Faeroensia Vol. V (1961), “The Faroese Bird Names”, he has
on p. 66 suggested the meaning “bird cob”.
The name is used in two variant forms, fulkobbi m. and
fulkubbi m. The latter form indicates that the second element
of the name is not generally associated with kobbi m. “seal”,
but could just as well be identical with Faroese kubbi m.
“chunk; short, thick piece (of a log, etc.)”, as wilil be disoussed
below.
The present pronunciation of the first element ful- would
seem to indicate one of Lockwood’s first two suggestions
“full-” or “bird-” as the more likely interpretation. In com-
pound names, however, such as place names and the names of
plants and animals, it is a well-known fact that the individual
components may undergo “irregular” developments. This may
occur when the original components are no longer identified
with their original meanings, (e. g., Faroese kalvi m. “halibut”
<L'rkafliði, lit. “depth-wanderer”).
It may thus be considered a distinct possibility that the first
component ful- could originally have been fúl- “foul”, especi-