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bomberdomination18
New on board
Australia
2 Posts |
 Posted - 16/08/2004 : 04:58:00
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Hi everyone
Just wondering if anyone here can help me out. I am trying to find a translation for the Danish/Norwegian surname suffix "kjær" as in Grønkjær and Solskjær.
If anyone can help me out, it's be much appreciated. My email address is bomberdomination18@hotmail.com hope to hear from someone soon.
BD18 |
Matthew Lloyd = kalssnaya popka
atebis' all lions fans!
Earth is the home for Soccer, Rugby is the home of League and Union, St Andrew's is the home of Golf, Lords is the home of Cricket, Melbourne is the home of Footy and my heart is the home for Essendon. |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2004 : 06:38:27
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Your examples are not one suffix, but two: Grøn-KJÆR and Sol-SKJÆR.
And names like that can't be translated "just like that" - names like that comes from a locality. You'll have to treat each name (place) for itself and do quite a research of local terrain, local language development, how sounds have changed throughout the centuries, etc.
Let me give you an example: Close to where I live we have a lake called "Nøklevann". Vann = water, that's easy. But "Nøkle"? A norwegian would believe it has something to do with a "Nøkkel" (a key). And if you look at the map you can see simularities in the shape of the lake and an oldfashion farm key.
BUT it's wrong. The lake doesn't have it's orginal shape due to the building of a dam - and the name is much older than the dam.
Historians have found out that the original name was "Miklavann", where "Mikla" is a form of the oldnordic word "mikjil" which means big - a word (and language) we skipped approximately 700 years ago.
The lake was originally named "the big lake". And there's no chance anybody would translate today's name to that without a very deep research... That's how difficult a name "translation" can be.
Of course all names are not that difficult. The names could be rather new. If so in your examples it could be as "easy" as Grønkjær meaning a beloved green place (refering to the growth of grass and/or trees and/or plants) and Solskjær could mean a rock (preferably by the sea?) lying in the sun.
But don't buy that without a research on each single place. Or don't translate names...
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askeroi |
Edited by - askeroi on 16/08/2004 06:42:40 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2004 : 12:43:12
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Yes, there are different suffixes in Grønkjær and Solskjær.
- kjær = dear as in "beloved one"
- grøn = green (color)
- skjær = rock (in the ocean), ie. a cliff that comes up from sea surface.
- Sol = Sun
//Jan
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Borge
Veteran Moderator
Norway
1297 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2004 : 15:15:53
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Hi
In this case I think kjær is an old form of what we today write Kjerr, also kalled Kratt. This can be translated:
thicket, scrub, underbush
and that goes with the first part of the word: Grøn = Green
Grønkjær could be translated "Greenscrub" or something similar to that  |
Børge Solem |
Edited by - Borge on 16/08/2004 19:25:34 |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2004 : 22:41:34
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| The last posts underline my point: It's dangerous to translate names without a proper research of the origin of the name's age, the place's position in the terrain, language development etc.... |
askeroi |
Edited by - askeroi on 16/08/2004 22:42:19 |
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bomberdomination18
New on board
Australia
2 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2004 : 23:11:15
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Hi,
Thanks for that. I am aware of the fact one has to research everything - as I've been trying to trace our family for a few years now, and I've had to take into account the different spellings of some names (Our Norwegian name is Mathieson)
Being ble to speak a fair bit of Norwegian - but not as much as you guys, I knew Grøn was green and Sol was sun but had no idea what s/kjær meant.
Initially I thought Grønkjær may have been a translation of Greenland - as I know it is mainly called Grønland - and was wondering if kjær meant land or something else. The kjær was the same in both names and I thought there may have been a link like with sen and son.
I then did a bit of a search and thought kjær may have been a change in spelling from kjøre, though their sounds aren't at all similiar so I dismissed it and thought I may as well ask around to see if anyone knew.
Thanks for the help though.
BD18 |
Matthew Lloyd = kalssnaya popka
atebis' all lions fans!
Earth is the home for Soccer, Rugby is the home of League and Union, St Andrew's is the home of Golf, Lords is the home of Cricket, Melbourne is the home of Footy and my heart is the home for Essendon. |
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Topic |
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Translation of a surname suffix
