Message: "Jostein (m.)" - Behind the Name

Jostein (m.)

by Andreas Brosch (guest)

6/23/2004, 11:34 PM

I've just finished reading a wonderful book by Jostein Gaarder (Das Orangenmädchen) and I've been wondering, what JOSTEIN means. It seems to Scandinavian and the second element reminds me of Thor-Stein (stone) - but I have no idea, what "JO" could stand for (it seems rather unlikely that it should be the name of the Jewish God replacing the Germanic God Thor). Also Jostein reminds me of JUSTIN but I have no evidence for that.
So does anyone know anything about JOSTEIN?
Andreas Brosch

#Jostein

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- Satu (guest) +3

6/24/2004, 10:23 AM

Hallo Andreas,

Jostein is an Old Norse name:

jór = horse
steinn = stone

The pronunciation is: YOU-stayn (die deutsche Beschreibung der Aussprache wäre ungefähr: JUU-ßtäin). The stress is on the first syllable.

In Iceland the name is written Jósteinn.

Viele Grüße
Satu

- Pavlos (guest) +1

6/25/2004, 1:04 AM

Right on time, Satu I was about to make an embarassing conjecture that Jostein could have been related to *Jews Stone*, a.k.a. Lapis Judaicus, the fossil spine of a large sea-urchin, found in Syria, formerly used in medicine.

- Satu (guest)

6/25/2004, 4:00 AM

;o))

- Andy (Andreas) (guest)

6/24/2004, 11:43 PM

Thanx alot for this piece of information, Satu! In fact I'm quite surpised that there are no German Josteins around - considering the popularity of Gaarder's books.

Andy

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