View Message

This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

Re: Ansgar, Ansgard, Asgard
Thanks. But in the database here it says that Ansgar means "god" and "spear", and in the few names that include "gard" it's translated as "enclosure". ... Does "enclosure" mean "protection"? Otherwise "enclosure" would make sense when refering to the place where the gods live?
vote up1vote down

Replies

Ger is spear, as in Gerald and, I suspect, Gareth; and gard is just our word "yard" with one little sound change. So it's a matter of going back to where the original name was used, to find out which of these units was in, or most prominent in, the language of those people.Enclosures were made for protection! Protect yourself and your livestock from wild animals and wilder humans = build an enclosure. Ask any pioneer. And then it's your own personal space, like the home of the gods. I suppose a spear is also a way of protecting, though in a very different way ... .
vote up1vote down
Speculating here...I have done no research or anything, but I'm thinking gard "enclosure" could be a later meaning evolution of gard "protection". After all, an enclosure is often built to protect whatever you're enclosing (either from being stolen or from having a living thing wander off into trouble, or whatever).
vote up1vote down
Thanksthanks a lot for your help, that was very interesting :)
vote up1vote down