Re: Semantic typology?
From: | Andreas Johansson <andjo@...> |
Date: | Monday, August 11, 2008, 14:23 |
Quoting Jim Henry <jimhenry1973@...>:
[snip]
> > Compass directions, maybe? I would assume any language distinguishing roots
> > for any of the intercardinals should also distinguish some for the
> cardinals.
>
> That's a sensible hypothesis. Do you know of any languages that
> have roots for the intercardinals rather than deriving them from
> cardinals?
I recently read an old (1928) article by L. Weibull which argued that in
pre-Christian Scandinavia, the "north", "east", "south", "west" actually
designated NE, SE, SW, and NW, respectively. I haven't heard of the idea in
anything written in the eighty years since, so I guess it didn't win academical
acceptance, but it does render more sensible some geographical informations in
viking age texts.
Benct, would you happen to know anything more of this? The article's called "De
gamle nordbornas väderstrecksbegrepp", should you happen to have access to it.
--
Andreas Johansson
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