Monday, May 07, 2007

Chechen-Swedish parallels

At Evrodiaspora - the unofficial website of Chechens living in Europe - a poster has compiled a list of some words that the Chechen and Swedish languages have in common. Examples:

Töntig - awkward, clumsy - Тентаг
Ute - outside - Уьт1е (yard)
Barn - child - Бер
Kasta - to throw - Кхосса
Padda - toad - Пхьид - frog
Tall - pine tree - Талл
Sinne - чувство - Са
Damm - dust - Дам - flour
Darra - to tremble - Дарр аьлла вегош
Adel - aristocracy, nobility - Ад(ам)-эла
Adjö - farewell, goodbye - 1адика-йойла ( adika jöjla!)
Bår - stretcher - Барм
Tyda - to interpret - Тида
Gå - to go, walk - Г1о
Var - was - Вар
Vagga - cradle, to lull - Ага
Usel - wretched - Осала
Kyla - chill, cold - Шело
Ort - place, locality, village - Юрт
Stjälk - stalk, stem - Шелкх
Sin - one’s (own) - Шен
Dekis - seedy-looking person - Декъаз
Dag, Dan - day - Де
Folk - people, nation - Халкъ
Låg - low - Лог1а
Sirlig - graceful, elegant - Сирла
Kol - coal - К1ор
Rask - quick, speedy, rapid - Расха
Mark - ground, land, territory - Мохк
Modd - mud, slush - Мода - mud
Land - land, country - Латта

The article also contains an interesting discussion of the origins of the words “Valhalla” and “Valkyrie”.

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