I've had a fascination with Norse myth for a little while, and, I need to know, can anyone explain what the r suffix is for?
The -r at the end of norse names?
- Thread starter DarklordKyo
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I've no background in the subject, but I don't think it's a suffix, just a vowel contraction, like Tayh said.
Maybe it's got something to do with the alphabet?
Maybe it's got something to do with the alphabet?
I may be wrong on this, but I believe that's a transliteration choice.
Often, when things weren't originally written in Latin script, there are multiple ways to represent them in Latin script, it's going to depend on the translator's prefered transliteration practice.
For example, the Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing was written by Laozi or Lao-Tzu or Lao-Tze.
The Joseon or Choson or Chosun dynasty ruled Korea for five centuries.
It's basically caused by the fact that some words don't really lend themselves perfectly to the phonetic sounds of the Latin alphabet because they were orginally written or spoken with a different set of phonetic sounds.
It could also be due to cultural and linguistic differences between different sources themselves, but I'm less sure on that.
Often, when things weren't originally written in Latin script, there are multiple ways to represent them in Latin script, it's going to depend on the translator's prefered transliteration practice.
For example, the Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing was written by Laozi or Lao-Tzu or Lao-Tze.
The Joseon or Choson or Chosun dynasty ruled Korea for five centuries.
It's basically caused by the fact that some words don't really lend themselves perfectly to the phonetic sounds of the Latin alphabet because they were orginally written or spoken with a different set of phonetic sounds.
It could also be due to cultural and linguistic differences between different sources themselves, but I'm less sure on that.
http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/old-norse-suffix-r.2574726/ was the only thing i managed to find using my google-fu.
although its worth pointing out that the modern pronunciation (or at least the one i grew up with) of the norse gods doesn't use the R at the end meaning Ullr becomes Ull and Baldr becomes Balder etc.
although its worth pointing out that the modern pronunciation (or at least the one i grew up with) of the norse gods doesn't use the R at the end meaning Ullr becomes Ull and Baldr becomes Balder etc.
I would take a guess that it's one of those "this letter is there in the original language, but is silent in the translation" So if the person writing the name is staying true to the source material, you will get extra letters that, in English, don't really serve any purpose, but in the original, have some meaning in pronunciation.
