Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the Norn Language in Shetland Part I.pdf/429

This page needs to be proofread.
303
HELLAHWARF—HELMA
303

Abbreviated to la (el, lek), hella is found in the compd. glerla (glerel, glerlek) from an orig. *glerhella (glerhellek), a sheet of ice (q.v.). — In place-names comm. in the older form hella [hɛla, hɛᶅa], in Fo. occas. hedla [hædla]. — O.N. hella, f., a flat stone or rock.

*hellahwarf [hɛᶅ··ahwa‘rf], sb., disease, injured health, partly jokingly: a bad cold, etc.; esp. in the phrase: to get ane’s [‘one’s’] h.; du’s gotten dy h., you have got a regular cold. Nmn. (N.Roe). *heill(ar)hvarf. heill = O.N. heilleikr, m., health (O.N. heill, f. and n., good luck, good omen); O.N. hvarf, n., disappearance. hella- in hellahwarf is etym. diff. from hella- in hellamet (q.v.) which is used in the same sense.

*hellakrøs (ll softened), sb., a churchyard; the dead buried in a churchyard. U. Recorded in the form “heljacröse” by Jessie M. Saxby in “The Home of a Naturalist”. The first part of the compd. is prob. O.N. heilagr, adj., holy; cf. helli, sb. and adj. The second part is poss. No. “kraus (kraas?)” or “krøys(a)” or “krysja”, f., a heap, pile, and etym. to be classed with Fær. kroysa, f., a hut, shed.

hellamet [hɛᶅ··amet·, heᶅ··amet·], sb., reported in the senses a) the Holy Sacrament given to a sick or dying person, the last morsel taken by a dying person (Nm.); b) a small portion of food (Fe.). Otherwise more common in the phrase “to get ane’s [‘one’s’] h.”, to get one’s deserts (ironically), to have an attack of ill-health, to catch a very bad cold, etc.; du ’s gotten dy h., you have got your deserts, a shock, etc. Fe. Prop. food eaten on feast-days. O.N. *helgarmatr. See helli, sb.

hellek, sb., see hella2, sb.

heller [hɛlər, hɛᶅər (helər, heᶅər)],

sb., a grotto, cave. hɛᶅər (heᶅər): comm. hɛlər (helər): Nm. occas. From Sa. “hɛᶅər” is reported also in sense of a large rock; see hall1, sb.O.N. hellir, m., a cave.

helli [hɛli, hæli], sb., 1) holy-day, esp. the interval between Saturday evening and Sunday evening. 2) a series of holy-days, festival; cf. upp-helli-a’. comm. *hella [hɛᶅa, heᶅa]: Yh.; now superseded by the form “helli”. helli-day, holy-day; de helli-days o’ jøl, the days of the Christmas feast (prop. twenty in number; see “upp-helli-a’”). helli-lamb, a lamb taken home for slaughtering, just before a festival, esp. before Christmas. helli-peats, helli-water, etc., peats, water, etc., taken home for use during “de helli”. hellis-kost [kɔst, kåst], food intended for use during “de helli”. Cf. the compd. hellamet. — O.N. helgr, helgi, f., holiness, the day or time to be kept holy. No. helg, f., esp. of the interval between Saturday evening and Sunday evening.

helli [hæli], adj., holy, esp. in the expr.h. muld [mȯld, møld]”, consecrated earth (N.I.). Otherwise comm.: holy. — O.N. heilagr, adj., holy. — In the expr. “to had helli”, to keep a holy-day or festival, “helli” prob. originates from “heilagt”, neuter of “heilagr”, adj.; O.N. halda heilagt (thus also No., Icel., Fær.), to keep a holy-day or festival.

helma1 [hɛlma, hælma (hæləma)], sb., stubble left in the field after the reaping of the corn; a piece of stubble-field. Also helm [hɛləm, hæləm]. N.I. O.N. helma, f., haulm, straw.

helma2 [hælma], sb., stir; confusion; disagreement; quarrelling; der’r naet’in’ [‘nothing’] but h. among dem. Y. Doubtless for *herma from the root “harm”; cf. O.N. hermd, herming and hermsl, f., vexation;