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Talking about Astrid Lindgren …
in reply to a message by Ylva
A.L. made up a number of names for her books: Pelje, Pippi(lotta), Tomte. I'm not sure about Tjorven and Skrållan. Ronja she made up from a map of northern Sweden - and later found out that it existed before: as a Russian pet form of Weronika or else a pet form of Roxana.
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Birk is anotherBirk is Ronja's friend in "Ronia, the Robber's daughter". But I'm not sure if Astrid made this up or if it is an old forgotten name. Birk sound like it means "birch". But though Ronja is popular as a girl's name the same is not true for Birk as a boy's name. "You sought a flower and found a fruit. You sought a spring and found a sea. You sought a woman and found a soul. You are disappointed."
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
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BIRK is a pet form of BURKHARDT
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Tjorven and Skrållan are nick namesMaybe Astrid made them up, but they are not used as names for persons (but for pets and dolls). Pippilotta is not used as a name either. But Madicken (originally a nn for Margareta) is used.Pelje I don't know of. Do you mean Pelle, an old nn for Per? "Tomte" means either brownie or Father Christmas, not used as a name.Interesting that Ronja existed as a nn in another language."You sought a flower and found a fruit. You sought a spring and found a sea. You sought a woman and found a soul. You are disappointed."
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
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Tjorven is derived from "tjorva", dialectal for being mischievous, not obeying. Skrållan is probably derived from "skrålla", an old dialectal word for "wrinkled" as in having wrinkled clothes after playing.
Pippi has been used, but only as a middle name. Madicken is called Mardie in the U.K., Meg in the U.S. and Madita in Spanish-speaking countries.
Ronja is derived from a place name in northern Sweden, "Juronjaure", but I don't know what it means.I wish I were as crazy as people say I am
~ Loesje
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