Fróðskaparrit - 31.12.2000, Side 27

SNJOFUGLUR (PLECTROPHENAX NIVALIS) TIL MATNA I ØKINUM RUNT SUBARKTIS 3 \
called snjótíttlmgur or snjófugl in the win-
ter, and sólskríkja (‘sun singer’) in the sum-
mer (Gróndal, 1895: 37; Blondal. 1920-24:
762). With their use of the prefix snow-,
the Faroese and Shetlander designations
(and the Icelandic winter term as well)
probably refer to the white plumage of the
bird. These names have their correspon-
dents in Danish, snespurv, English, snow
bunting or snowbird', and in German,
Schneeammer and Schneesperling (Jør-
gensen and Blackburne, 1941: 78). Other
German names are Schneevogel, Schnee-
ammerling, Neuvogel, and Winterling
(Suolahti, 1909: 108). The same may be
said of the Norwegian local names, e.g.,
snofuggel, snøspor (Oppdal), snøføggel
(Nordtrøndelag), snjofugl, snytetting
(Troms), snetiting (Finnmark), titing, snjo-
spikke, snekok, and fjellspurv (Sogn og
Fjordane) (Haftorn, 1971: 816). The com-
mon name in Sweden nowadays is sno-
sparv, a term first recorded around 1695.
This is probably also a genuine folk name,
which was used at a much earlier point. It
is also known under a great many local
names, such as hárdvádersfdgel (Uppland);
snósvala (Medelpad); vitspar\> (Angerman-
land); skarfagel (Lappland); stormpink
(Gotland); snólárka, fjállsparv, and
vitsparv (Jamtland); snófágel, urváders-
fágel, and vástanvindssparv (Harjedalen);
skvirra, snósvirra, snóskvirra, and vinter-
fágel (Swedish Finland); and aprilfágel,
hárdársfágel, illvádersfágel, ur\>áders-
fágel, and vinterfágel (Dalecarlia) (Lin-
naeus, 1761: 83; Broman, 1912-54: 455;
Modin, 1916: 325; Hortling, 1944: 33;
Levander and Bjórklunđ, 1980: 951; Ham-
marin, 1987: 43; Hammarin, 1990: 123-
124; Steensland, 2000: 111; ULMA 20
111). Similar names for the species are
found also in adjacent countries, e.g. Vep-
sian, tenkatkadai (‘road destroyer’) (Zait-
seva and Mullonen, 1972: 566); Finnish
and Carelian, tierikko (‘road destruction’),
tienrikkoja (‘road destroyer’), kelinrikko-
jaine (‘road destroyer’), and lumisirkku
(‘snow siskin’) (Mela, 1909: 129); and Es-
tonian, hangelind, (‘snowdriftbird’);
Iðokese eestvoorimees (‘the forerunner of
the lark’s coachman’), lumelðoke (‘snow
lark’), Iðoke, Iðo, Iðgu (‘lark’), talvelðoke
(‘winter lark’), tuulelðoke (‘wind lark’),
kiilmalðo (‘cold lark’), valge (talve) Iðoke
(‘white (winter) lark’), lumelind (‘snow
bird’), talvelind (‘winter bird’), and
talvepáásuke (‘winter swallow’) (Máger,
1967: 189). In Russian, it is known as
snezhurka (‘snow sludge, slush’) and sne-
gurka (‘snow maiden’) (Dement’ev and
Gladkov, 1954: 504; Vasmer, 1955: 681).
Many of these Nordic and Finno-Ugric
local names refer to the reputation of this
bird as a sign of a forthcoming storm, snow,
or cold (EU 27 761; ULMA 88:5; ULMA
95:7; ULMA 30 280:8:7). If the snow
bunting appears in the village, according to
a report from Transtrand in north-western
Dalecarlia, it is a sign that the spring will be
unusually cold (ULMA 3040:2). “When
the white snow buntings arrive in large
swarms around the village during the
spring, it is a sure sign that there will be a
pause in the spring and that the summer
will be cold’’, in the words of an account
from Jámtland (Anonymous, 1917: 92).
According to a record from Tásjó in Anger-