A Celebration of Women Writers

"Glossary." by Velma Swanston Howard.
From: The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. by Selma Lagerlöf. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1922, pp. 262-263.

Editor: Mary Mark Ockerbloom

GLOSSARY

TABLE OF PRONUNCIATION

The final e is sounded in Skåne, Sirle, Gripe, etc.

The å in Skåne and Småland is pronounced like o in ore.

j is like the English y. Nuolja, Oviksfjållen, Sjangeli, Jarro, etc., should sound as is they were spelled like this: Nuolya, Oviksfyellen, Shang-e-lee, Yarro, etc.

g, when followed e, i, y, ä, ö, is also like y. Example Göta is pronounced Yöta.

When g is followed by a, o, u, or å, it is hard, as in go.

k in Norrköping, Linköping, Kivik (pronounced Cheeveek), etc. is like ch in cheer.

k is hard when it proceeds a, o, u, or å. Example, Kaksi, Kolmi, etc.

ä is pronounced like a in fare. Example, Färs.

There is no sound in the English language which corresponds to the Swedish ö. It is like the French eu in jeu.

Gripe is pronounced Greep-e.

In Sirle, the first syllable has the same sound as the sir in sirup.


The names which Miss Lagerlöf has given to the animals are descriptive.

Smirre Fox, is cunning fox.

Sirle Squirrel, is graceful, or nimble squirrel.

Gripe Otter, means grabbing or clutching otter.

Mårten gåskarl (Morten Goosey-gander) is a pet name for a tame gander, just as we use Dickie-bird for a pet bird.

Fru is the Swedish for Mrs. This title is usually applied to gentlewomen only. The author has used this meaning of "fru."

A Goa-Nisse is an elf-king, and corresponds to the English Puck or Robin Goodfellow.

TRANSLATOR.

Editor: Mary Mark Ockerbloom

This chapter has been put on-line as part of the BUILD-A-BOOK Initiative at the
Celebration of Women Writers.
Initial text entry and proof-reading of this chapter were the work of volunteer
Mary Mark Ockerbloom.

Editor: Mary Mark Ockerbloom