This evening as I attempted to track down certain modern Faroese poems, I discovered that the language of the Shetland Islands was called Norn, and that it greatly resembled Faroese. I came upon this English-Norn vocabulary list, gathered from informants in 1774:
| Foula,… | … | Fugla or Uttrie |
| An Island,… | … | Hion. |
| Bread,… | … | Coust. |
| Oat Bread,… | … | Corka Coust. |
| Barley Bread,… | … | Boga Coust. |
| The Sea,… | … | Sheug. |
| A Fish,… | … | Fisk. |
| A Haddock,… | … | Hoissan. |
| A Cod,… | … | Gronge, Grodningar. |
| A Ling,… | … | Longo. |
| A Herring,… | … | Sildin. |
| A Rock,… | … | Berg, Berrie. |
| A Boat,… | … | Bodin, Knorin. |
| A Sail,… | … | Seiglè |
| A Mast,… | … | Mostin. |
| A Coat,… | … | Quot. |
| A Shoe,… | … | Seugin. |
| A Stocking,… | … | Sokin. |
| A Cap,… | … | Uga. |
| Sea Mall or Mew,… | … | Whit fuglin. |
| The Eagle,… | … | Ednin. |
| A Trencher or Plate,… | … | Bergesken. |
| A Spoon,… | … | Sponin. |
| A Ladle,… | … | Heosa. |
| A Horse,… | … | Hessin. |
| A Mare,… | … | Rupa. |
| A Cow,… | … | Kurin. |
| A Sheep,… | … | Fie, Sedvite. |
| A Ewe,… | … | Oron. |
| A Pott,… | … | Posney. |
Axé.
Got me; it does sound similar.
Andy
Andy, do you know Faroese? Tell us more, if you can/if you would like to.
This has come up because I want to go to the Faroes this summer for the death celebration of a family member, a poet and singer. I have never been there, but I have always wanted to go. The best and cheapest route I have found so far – and by far – is from here to JFK, from there to Iceland by IcelandAir, and from there to Tórshavn (Thor’s Harbor, me encanta el nombre) by ferry. I speak Danish, and I understand Frisian, most Swedish, and Norwegian bokmål, but I am lost in Western Scandinavian languages … and / but fascinated.
Interesting.
A friend of mine spent some time in his early twenties there and loved it. He worked in a fishery.
Whenever he gets stressed he dreams about that island.
So, more people are Faroes-oriented than I thought. Dreaming about that island when stressed – that is a good enough recommendation for me! I really want to go. It is a complicated trip: 15 hours by bus from Reykjavik, in Iceland, to this fjord where the Faroes ferry leaves from; ferry overnight, and 2 1/2 hours by bus and ferry from the docking point to Tórshavn.
Then back.
Costs: $540 RT flight from JFK. Then cost to spend a couple of nights in Iceland and get across the country to the right dock. RT ferry to the Faroes, about $300. (Flying from Reykjavik on Atlantic Air, the Faorese airline, would be about $400, and you would save time and money on the cross country Iceland trip, but I like the so the ferry in essence isn’t cheaper, but I prefer it.
Anway, from JFK total transportation costs are about $840. Now one has to figure out the food and lodging situation which I do not think is cheap.
It is still a great fantasy, and I need one, because I have been depressed by that whiteman.