New Post
Search
Help
ArchivesThorwald
The user-submitted entry for my name says the name is the german variant of Torvald.
I have been told (my parents cobbled it together) that it rather is the English variant.
To me this seems more plausible, as Germans definitely have a hard time distinguishing (in speech) w from v, and the [þ] of the Norsemen was changed to [th] in England (Old-English "ye olde" -> "the old").
I don't really want to start an editing war...
I have been told (my parents cobbled it together) that it rather is the English variant.
To me this seems more plausible, as Germans definitely have a hard time distinguishing (in speech) w from v, and the [þ] of the Norsemen was changed to [th] in England (Old-English "ye olde" -> "the old").
I don't really want to start an editing war...
1
Replies
Hoe kom je erbij dat Duitsers moeite hebben met het onderscheid tussen w en v in de spraak? Is dat uit eigen ervaring of ben je misschien wat beïnvloed door de grappen die Engelstaligen daar wel eens over maken (bij mijn weten voornamelijk in komische films)? Ik woon zelf in het grensgebied en heb dat tot nu toe nog niet meegemaakt. Mij lijkt het dat ze net als Nederlanders (die een nauwverwante taal spreken) prima in staat zijn om de w van een v te onderscheiden.
1
It may be better to say it's the variant used in Germany, rather than the German (language) variant. There is a surname Durwalt/Turwalt which represents the German language version of Torvald. Other forms such as Thorwald or Torwalt should be considered names borrowed later by German speakers from Norse or English.
1
Native German speaker here: Thorwald is the variant of the name that is used in Germany.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorwald_(Vorname)
It's not used in Germany exclusively, however: https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Thorwald
By the way, for the German pronounciation the "h" does not matter, the name starts with a simple "t" sound.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorwald_(Vorname)
It's not used in Germany exclusively, however: https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Thorwald
By the way, for the German pronounciation the "h" does not matter, the name starts with a simple "t" sound.
1
The information of Thorwald being a german and dutch variant is correct.
I don't exactely know what (language) you mean when you say Germans have problems distinguishing between w and v?
"valdr" is the Old Norse equivalent to german "walten", so that's where the w comes in.
I don't exactely know what (language) you mean when you say Germans have problems distinguishing between w and v?
"valdr" is the Old Norse equivalent to german "walten", so that's where the w comes in.
1