[Archived]Oera Linda Book and the Great Flood

[Van Gorp]

That the verb GÁRA, GÁRJA or GÁDERJA (with or without accent) is related to ALGADER, TOGADER and GAD is clear.

But that it might explain the original meaning of the words garden and guard is not mentioned on wiktionary.

Am I the first to see this?

A garden is a gathered piece of land, or a place to gather people or food (Ljud-garda ~ Manna-garda-forda ~ Wal-halla-gara).

It is also a place that is protected, guarded.

The old-Dutch word garde or gaerde means guard or group of soldiers.

The French word for war is guerre, the German word is krieg.

As Van Gorp has mentioned (I think) the verb kriegen (Dutch: krijgen) means to get, take, recieve.

If guerre is derived from GARA, it almost means the same: to gather, collect.

As I am only a dilettante, I don't know the best ways to explain this, but some of the more intelligent linguists will see the significance.

This is what the WNT (dictionary of dutch language) says about "garde" (guard or army):

of french garde, derived from old-frankish warda, old-high-german warta, middle-netherlandic waerde, ... with a change of w in old-french gu (etc.)

Need I say more?

Anyway, this was for the record.

It will come handy later.

Yes this is interesting to notice! In fact one of the reasons why OLB is also tremendous fascinating for Flemish people.

Fact: the word 'Teghaedre' is still used in West-Flemish to say 'Together'. And as the Flemish can understand, English/French is Dietsch creoler.

The Belgian Frisians went oversea with their language (not the other way round). Luttel became little, and a sampeltje (is ampel) has become an ess(x)ample.

OLB language can be read also as phonetic Flemish written down.

And it doesn't stop there.

Gaer is found in Ger-man (people that come together to collect, vergaderen om te vergaren).

Gher-der collects his sheeps/cattle. Mind the different place names with Ger...

That is the reason why we are told that Heir-Banen are big roads of Romans.

But this is BS -> those Her-banen (roads) where allready there between different fields to bring the animals of Scyth from one grassplane to another.

Boom-gaard, is a place collected with trees. La Gare is a trainstation where the trains come together.

Back to the Ger-mans, you can equate them with the Hale-Mans (die Gaan-Halen, the Gauls, Kriegers and Krijgers, those who go to Camp on the field).

Mein Kampf said Dolf ... Tacitus 'Germania' was used for Deutsch (German) nationalistic feelings for a country that never really was one country, only in the heads of historians.

Al the same people, adversaries of the Romans in North-France.

What is actually a confiscated part of Flanders, Frans Vlaanderen as it is said untill today, and the original language was Flemish where the Dietsch place names are still provable. Coulogne became Koln. Hames-Boucres became Hamburg. Renus means a river that flows into the sea (not neceassary contamporary river Rhine).

All what is now known as 'German' history from Caesar/Tacitus was in fact a description of Nord Pas de Calais/Artesië/Bethune/Normandie/Bretanie.

Nowadays Germany was at that time a s-wamp. Not really land.

History revisited. OLB will help :-)

Like Otharus mentionned, further in time we see G-W exchange in words (like Wilhelm became in French Guilhelm, Guillaume).

Gaer became Waer (Werd U! is een strijdkreet). When there is a fight, people come together.

-> Guerre and War explained coming from the Dietsch 'Gaer'.

[The Puzzler]

That the verb GÁRA, GÁRJA or GÁDERJA (with or without accent) is related to ALGADER, TOGADER and GAD is clear.

But that it might explain the original meaning of the words garden and guard is not mentioned on wiktionary.

Am I the first to see this?

A garden is a gathered piece of land, or a place to gather people or food (Ljud-garda ~ Manna-garda-forda ~ Wal-halla-gara).

It is also a place that is protected, guarded.

The old-Dutch word garde or gaerde means guard or group of soldiers.

The French word for war is guerre, the German word is krieg.

As Van Gorp has mentioned (I think) the verb kriegen (Dutch: krijgen) means to get, take, recieve.

If guerre is derived from GARA, it almost means the same: to gather, collect.

As I am only a dilettante, I don't know the best ways to explain this, but some of the more intelligent linguists will see the significance.

This is what the WNT (dictionary of dutch language) says about "garde" (guard or army):

of french garde, derived from old-frankish warda, old-high-german warta, middle-netherlandic waerde, ... with a change of w in old-french gu (etc.)

Need I say more?

Anyway, this was for the record.

It will come handy later.

I've been on about gardens being enclosures that are together for ages, no one listens. The obvious 'missing' part is the gate - that keeps the garden enclosed. If you had a garter, it's a piece of elastic that encloses your leg - and it is sewn together in one spot - that is the gate, where the gardens/garters are always shut or opened - the concept between them all is the same - you think some more - they became palaces - with huge walls and gates that kept people out - this was really what guarded the palace, the gate - think Troy.

Or the Garden of Eden, where once Adam was banished out of the garden, the gate was guarded.

GADERJA - Gaderia - I also said once I think the true meaning of Gades as Gadir is actually gate - same concept - it's the gate or guard point into or out of the Mediterranean, itself an enclosed garden with a gate. I think a stone quay can be a gate, into the harbour.

Edited May 14, 2012 by The Puzzler

[Knul]

I've been on about gardens being enclosures that are together for ages, no one listens. The obvious 'missing' part is the gate - that keeps the garden enclosed. If you had a garter, it's a piece of elastic that encloses your leg - and it is sewn together in one spot - that is the gate, where the gardens/garters are always shut or opened - the concept between them all is the same - you think some more - they became palaces - with huge walls and gates that kept people out - this was really what guarded the palace, the gate - think Troy.

Or the Garden of Eden, where once Adam was banished out of the garden, the gate was guarded.

GADERJA - Gaderia - I also said once I think the true meaning of Gades as Gadir is actually gate - same concept - it's the gate or guard point into or out of the Mediterranean, itself an enclosed garden with a gate. I think a stone quay can be a gate, into the harbour.

Garden is a piece of land enclosed by a fence, not to keep people in, but to keep wild animals out. English: garden, German: garten, Russian -gorod (town) like in Novgorod. No relation with gathering.

[The Puzzler]

Garden is a piece of land enclosed by a fence, not to keep people in, but to keep wild animals out. English: garden, German: garten, Russian -gorod (town) like in Novgorod. No relation with gathering.

The gather is the actual fence, that gathers around, like a (leg) garter, to a gate. Agade is probably a garden too. The circle of fence palings is what denoted the garden, or palace, the etymology for the word palace lies in PALINGS (palus/stake), the fence palings gathered in a circle. It kept the ones inside safe from what was outside, usually with a guard at the gate. Palatine Hill in Rome was an original garden, a palace on a hill, palings enclosing an area, gathered around in a circle.

It is the etymological origin of the word "palace" and its cognates in other languages (Italian "Palazzo", French "Palais" etc.).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatine_Hill

Edited May 14, 2012 by The Puzzler

[The Puzzler]

It's interesting in Basque the words gurdi and gorde as cart and guard - which imo could be the true name of Gordium.

gurdi is cart, gorde is guard.

The cart in relation to the movement of a chariot of the Sun, goes around in a continuous circle, like a hurdy-gurdy (carousel). The arrival at a point, the Sun solstice, indicated the gate had been reached, Janus, of the gate, the new year. It's all relative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Garter

Edited May 14, 2012 by The Puzzler

[The Puzzler]

ward (v.) O.E. weardian "to keep guard," from P.Gmc. *wardojan- (cf. O.S. wardon, O.N. varða "to guard," O.Fris. wardia, M.Du. waerden "to take care of," O.H.G. warten "to guard, look out for, expect," Ger. warten "to wait, wait on, nurse, tend"), http://www.etymonlin...owed_in_frame=0

To nurse or tend - THE GARDEN - the Gardener was the watcher, the nurse; think Sargon of Akkad (Agade), his father was a gardener, a guardian of the seed.

The Sumerian king list relates: "In Agade [Akkad], Sargon, whose father was a gardener, the cupbearer of Ur-Zababa, became king, the king of Agade, who built Agade; http://en.wikipedia....Sargon_of_Akkad

Edited May 14, 2012 by The Puzzler

[Otharus]

Van Gorp and Puzzler, thanks for the additional information.

Knul, the relation becomes more clear if you compare with GARA rather than GATHER.

Latin : HORTVS

Old-Greek : χόρτος (CHORTOS)

Examples like this show that Flemmish, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages are in many cases more original, than the languages that are usually considered to be older, simply because more sources were saved.

The fact that of all languages, Old-Frisian is the one in which most (folk-) etymologies are possible, indicates that this must indeed be the oldest and most original language. (Old dialects like Westflemmish often carry more original traces!)

The most simple version of a word is logically the oldest.

Example:

A Basque 16th century nobleman with the name Iñigo became a monk and Latinised his name into Ignatius (of Loyola). One of my 18th century familymembers (in protestant Holland) had this name too, but wrote it as Ingenasius (to hide his Jezuit roots?).

1. Iñigo

2. Ignatius

3. Ingenasius

I think I will make more maps like the Garden-one.

It becomes much more clearly visible with that.

Edited May 14, 2012 by Otharus

[Abramelin]

(...)

Examples like this show that Flemmish, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages are in many cases more original, than the languages that are usually considered to be older, simply because more sources were saved.

The fact that of all languages, Old-Frisian is the one in which most (folk-) etymologies are possible, indicates that this must indeed be the oldest and most original language. (Old dialects like Westflemmish often carry more original traces!)

The most simple version of a word is logically the oldest.

(...)

But in that case you must take into account that the same is true for Old Saxon, Old High German and Old English:

12garden (n.)

c.1300, from O.N.Fr. gardin (13c., Mod.Fr. jardin), from V.L. hortus gardinus "enclosed garden," via Frankish *gardo, from P.Gmc. *gardaz- (cf. O.Fris. garda, O.S. gardo, O.H.G. garto, Ger. Garten "garden," O.E. geard "enclosure," see yard (1)). It. giardino, Sp. jardin are from French.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=garden&searchmode=none

I mean, they used a short form too, so you cannot be sure Old Frisian was the original. And with Old Saxon, and Old High German you can almost copy the etymologies that show up in the OLB. Same for Old Norse, btw.

[Abramelin]

Something else:

Has any of you considered that the Dutch word TUIN (which means garden) may be older then GAARDE/garden?

Look it up: you will not find a similar word in all those other countries where forms of GARDEN show up.

http://www.etymologi.../trefwoord/tuin

http://gtb.inl.nl/iWDB/search?actie=article&wdb=ONW&id=ID347

It looks like forms of GARDA were adopted later on to mean the same thing.

The next suggests it is a borrowing from Celtic, but that is not so sure:

town

O.E. tun "enclosure, garden, field, yard; farm, manor; homestead, dwelling house, mansion;" later "group of houses, village, farm," from P.Gmc. *tunaz, *tunan (cf. O.S., O.N., O.Fris. tun "fence, hedge," M.Du. tuun "fence," Du. tuin "garden," O.H.G. zun, Ger. Zaun "fence, hedge"), an early borrowing from Celtic *dunom (cf. O.Ir. dun, Welsh din "fortress, fortified place, camp," dinas "city;" see down.

http://www.etymonlin...searchmode=none

.

Edited May 14, 2012 by Abramelin

[Otharus]

Has any of you considered that the Dutch word TUIN (which means garden) may be older then GAARDE/garden?

Three fragments:

ANDA ÔRE SIDE WRDEN WI THRVCH THÀT BRÉDE TWISKLÁND VMTUNAD

LJUDGÁRDA. OM.TUNAD THRVCH THET GRÁTE LINDA.WALD

THA GÁRDNE SEND MITH ALTID GRÉNE HÁGVM OMTUNAD

[Otharus]

But in that case you must take into account that the same is true for Old Saxon, Old High German and Old English:

... so you cannot be sure Old Frisian was the original.

There is no clear distinction between those four.

They are just varieties (dialects?) of the same primal language.

That's why we sometimes used the unofficial term Fryan.

[Abramelin]

Three fragments:

ANDA ÔRE SIDE WRDEN WI THRVCH THÀT BRÉDE TWISKLÁND VMTUNAD

LJUDGÁRDA. OM.TUNAD THRVCH THET GRÁTE LINDA.WALD

THA GÁRDNE SEND MITH ALTID GRÉNE HÁGVM OMTUNAD

That is "omtuint" in oldish Dutch, or "surrounded" in English.

Is there a TUNA in the meaning of garden in the OLB?

+++

EDIT:

What I think is interesting about the Dutch word TUIN (garden) is that similar forms only show up in countries nearby, and - to me - it looks older than GARDA.

Btw: i have tried to find some many centuries old Frisian text that might have the word in it, but I haven't found anything yet.

+++

EDIT:

All I found is this:

Tha gârdne send mit altid grêne hâgvm omtunad.

The gardens are all surrounded by green hedges.

http://oeralinda.angelfire.com/#bn

And that was your 3d example.

But it's gârdne, not garda and it looks like all the other examples you gave in the map you posted. Garda may be the oldest and shortest form, but the OLB doesn't use it when it mentions a garden.

It may be that gârdne is just the plural form of garda, but the OLB shows several other ways in which a plural can be formed.

.

Edited May 14, 2012 by Abramelin

[Abramelin]

There is no clear distinction between those four.

They are just varieties (dialects?) of the same primal language.

That's why we sometimes used the unofficial term Fryan.

Yes, that's right.

[The Puzzler]

Something else:

Has any of you considered that the Dutch word TUIN (which means garden) may be older then GAARDE/garden?

Look it up: you will not find a similar word in all those other countries where forms of GARDEN show up.

http://www.etymologi.../trefwoord/tuin

http://gtb.inl.nl/iW...db=ONW&id=ID347

It looks like forms of GARDA were adopted later on to mean the same thing.

The next suggests it is a borrowing from Celtic, but that is not so sure:

town

O.E. tun "enclosure, garden, field, yard; farm, manor; homestead, dwelling house, mansion;" later "group of houses, village, farm," from P.Gmc. *tunaz, *tunan (cf. O.S., O.N., O.Fris. tun "fence, hedge," M.Du. tuun "fence," Du. tuin "garden," O.H.G. zun, Ger. Zaun "fence, hedge"), an early borrowing from Celtic *dunom (cf. O.Ir. dun, Welsh din "fortress, fortified place, camp," dinas "city;" see down.

http://www.etymonlin...searchmode=none

.

see down.

Downs are hilly areas, the Darling Downs is a known one here - hill;hillfort. This was a Celtic town. The dun is the tun, because towns were on hilly hillforts.

Dutch tuin as garden imo is because the Dutch were not Celtic warriors with hillforts, rather people who created towns with gardens, enclosures around houses. Their towns were 'gardens', not hills/downs.

[Abramelin]

see down.

Downs are hilly areas, the Darling Downs is a known one here - hill;hillfort. This was a Celtic town. The dun is the tun, because towns were on hilly hillforts.

Dutch tuin as garden imo is because the Dutch were not Celtic warriors with hillforts, rather people who created towns with gardens, enclosures around houses. Their towns were 'gardens', not hills/downs.

The Celtic "dun" has been equated with the Dutch "duin" or sandhill.

But "tuin" or "tun" (garden, enclosure) has no etymological relationship with this Celtic "dun" (hillford), although my quote in a former post would suggest otherwise.

And the English "town" started like this:

O.E. tun "enclosure, garden, field, yard; farm, manor; homestead, dwelling house, mansion;" later "group of houses, village.

[Otharus]

Outsmarting dr. Jensma and oldschool-etymology

English "BAD" <== Fryan "BALD" ==> Dutch "BAL(D)"

1) [124/04] Ljudgért's diary, ca. 300 BCE

THÀT BISÁWD.VS ÀND LIKT VS BALTO

[O+S p.169]

Dat verbaasde ons, en leek ons raar [slecht] toe

This astounded us, and seemed most extraordinary [bad to us]

2) [145/20]

VMBÉNE FOLGSTERE TO KJASANE THÉR TVÍVELIK WÉRE

THÉR HETH HJU BALD IN SJAN

[O+S p.197]

om een opvolgster te kiezen die twijfelachtig was

daar heeft zij kwaad ingezien

to choose a [successor that was] doubtful one

she thought would be very bad

3) [146/17]

ÀFRE GRÁTE FLOD ...

WÉRON FÉLO JUTTAR ÀND LÉTNE MITH EBBE UT.A BALDA JEFTA KWADE SÉ FORED

[O+S p.199]

Na de groote vloed ...

waren vele Jutten en Letten met de ebbe uit de Balda of kwade zee gevoerd

After the great flood ...

there came many Jutlanders [Juttar] and Letlanders [Létne] [were driven] out of the Baltic, or bad sea

4) [162/14]

THISSA LOGHA SKIL ALLE BALDA FORSTA VRTÉRA

ÀND ALLE SKIN.FRÁNA ÀND SMÚGRIGA PRESTERA

[O+S p.119]

Deze vlam zal alle slechte vorsten verteeren

en alle schijnvrome en smerige priesters

that flame will destroy all bad princes

and [all] hypocritical [and] dirty priests

5) [203/26]

HJU ... TÁG SELVA A LINGEN THENE BALDA.SÉ

[O+S p.203]

zij ... toog zelve langs de Baltische zee

she ... went herself along the Baltic Sea

6) [208/05]

ALINGEN THÉRE KÁD FON THA BALDA.SÉ

[O+S p.251]

langs de kusten van de Baltische zee

along the coasts of the Baltic Sea

Footnotes Jensma (translated)

At fragment 1):

"from Hettema (1832) dictionary: 'Bael'; Ottema erroneously translated it as 'raar' (strange)"

At fragment 3):

"Baldic Sea - unclear etymology; Oldfrisian 'bald' = soon, and not 'bad'. This might be derived from the English 'bad' (?)."

Various Oldfrisian dictionaries

Wiarda (1786):

Bael ~ böse, ungerecht (bad, evil, unjust)

Hettema (1832):

Bael, bal, baal ~ kwaad, boos (bad, evil)

Richthofen (1840) only has 'bald(e)' in the meaning bold, daring, strong-spirited, swift; not in the meaning bad or evil

Hettema (1874) has left out bael, bal that he had in his 1832 edition, but he listed baelmond~ malus tutor (bad guardian or teacher). He also listed balde ~ terstond (immediately).

Halbertsma (1874):

Bal, baal ~ malus (bad, evil);

also several combinations, like bal-dedich (wanton, rebelious)

==>> conclusion: nowhere BALD with D in the meaning bad, evil

In WNT (Dictionary of Dutch Language) from 1895:

BAL ~ bnw.; thans in de algemeene taal geheel verouderd, maar gewestelijk nog bekend, ook in den vorm balt en in de afleiding balsch; het beteekent dan boos, driftig, of onrustig, of ook schuw (van vogels gezegd): aldus in het Friesch en in Noordhollandsche dialecten (zie halbertsma, Lexic. Fris. 166, bouman 5, boekenoogen 30 ). In het Westvlaamsch wordt gezegd ”mijne ooren slaan bal van al dat getier”, en de bo (de bo 76 [1873]) verklaart het met fr. assourdi. Het grondwoord ook hiervan is misschien de bekende stam balwo-: ags. bealu, slecht, enz.

Thans nog in de Samenst. afl. Baloorig, balsturig (zie die woorden).

Samenst. Baldaad (zie ald.).

In the same, under BALDAAD:

ook wel BALDDAAD gespeld (verg. BALDADIG) —, znw. vr., mv. baldaden. Eene samenst. met Bal (IV), en thans alleen nog bewaard in de afleiding baldadig; geen van die beide woorden zijn tot nog toe in het Mnl. aangewezen, maar wel het afgeleide baeldadicheit (zie eene plaats uit Wal. bij verdam 1, 512). Baldaad heeft misschien van den Oudgermaanschen tijd af bij ons bestaan: ohd. palotât, osaks. baludâd, ags. bealud᫦d (schade 38 a); noch in het Mndd. noch in het Mhd. schijnt het zeer gebruikelijk te zijn geweest. Doch het is ook niet onmogelijk dat het bij ons in de 16de en de 17de eeuw opnieuw uit baldadig is afgeleid. Thans verouderd.

http://gtb.inl.nl/iWDB/search?actie=article&wdb=WNT&id=M005025&lemmodern=baldaad

Now, a quick look at what Wiktionary says about the etymology of the English "BAD":

Middle English bad, badde (“wicked, evil, depraved”), probably a shortening of Old English bæddel (“hermaphrodite”) (cf. English much, wench, from Old English myċel, wenċel), from bǣdan (“to defile”), from Proto-Germanic *bad- (cf. Old High German pad (“hermaphrodite”)), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰoidʰ- (cf. Welsh baedd (“wild boar”), Latin foedus (“foul, filthy”), foedō (“to defile, pollute”)).

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bad

What an incredible nonsense!

And now, Wikipedia about the Etymology of the Baltic Sea:

While Tacitus called it Mare Suebicum[2] after the Germanic people of the Suebi, the first to name it also as the Baltic Sea (Mare Balticum) was eleventh century German chronicler Adam of Bremen. The origin of the latter name is speculative. It might be connected to the Germanic word belt, a name used for two of the Danish straits, the Belts, while others claim it to be derived from Latin balteus (belt).[3] However it should be noted that the name of the Belts might be connected to Danish bælte, which also means belt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea

In other words, they don't have a clue.

~ ~ ~

I lack time to finish this now, but this is a wonderful clue.

In short:

Old-frisian/ Old-dutch "Bael" or "Bal" from the dictionaries is a bastardisation from BALD, which is also the origin of the English "bad", and indeed provides a plausible etymology for the Baltic Sea.

~ ~ ~ to be continued!

[Abramelin]

There is one word/name in the whole of the OLB that really mystifies me.

It's "Lumka-makia".

I have suggested it was the Frisian town Lemster, Knul suggested it was place (a rock, actually) on the island of Heligoland, and we all went on for ages and not being able to pinpoint a suitable etymology.

Lumka-makia was the birth place of the OLB Wodin.

From the OLB:

Wodin thene aldeste hêmde to Lumka-mâkja bi thêre Ê-mude to Ast-flyland by sin eldrum t-us.

Wodin, the eldest, lived at Lumkamakia, near the Eemude, in Oostflyland, with his parents.

Sandbach/Ottema assumed it was the city of Emden, at the mouth ("mude") of the river Ems.

Older names for Emden are Amuthon, Embda, Emda, and Embden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emden

"Amuthon"? I googled that name, and this is what I found: http://nl.wiktionary.org/wiki/Amuthon

It's a Dutch city called "Muiden": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muiden

As you all can see on the map on that Wiki page, this Muiden wasn't anything near East Flyland so we must forget about that one.

But it's interesting that the oldest known name for Emden is "Amuthon".

From Wiki:

Emden ontstond rond 800 als een handelsnederzetting (Amuthon) op een wierde aan de Eems en werd in de 12e eeuw de hoofdstad van het Oost-Friese graafschap Eemsgo.

http://nl.wikipedia....en_(Nedersaksen)

In English:

Emden came into existence around 800 AD as a trade settlement (Amuthon) on an artificial mound near the river Ems in the 12th century and was the capital of the East Frisian county Eemsgo.

So.. it wasn't even there when the OLB was first put onto paper (around 600 BC).

.

Edited May 14, 2012 by Abramelin

[The Puzzler]

The Celtic "dun" has been equated with the Dutch "duin" or sandhill.

But "tuin" or "tun" (garden, enclosure) has no etymological relationship with this Celtic "dun" (hillford), although my quote in a former post would suggest otherwise.

Yes, it has. Tuin is not really garden, it's town - "dun"-hillfort - it's just Dutch towns were 'gardens' not hill forts.

[Abramelin]

Yes, it has. Tuin is not really garden, it's town - "dun"-hillfort - it's just Dutch towns were 'gardens' not hill forts.

That's bs, lol.

[Van Gorp]

[Abramelin]

Great, so now you expect the members of UM to be able to read Latin?

Try a bit better, ok?

[The Puzzler]

That's bs, lol.

and so is this:

But "tuin" or "tun" (garden, enclosure) has no etymological relationship with this Celtic "dun" (hillford),

It does have an etymological relationship.

[The Puzzler]

The Eem, maybe it's the Emude.

Situated in this red area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eem

Edited May 14, 2012 by The Puzzler

[The Puzzler]

Also, with the etymology, I say it's "to make warm/hot" - whatever that refers to in the place name, that is what I think it means - maybe an ironworks, a furnace area, something they did there at lumka-makia (make warm).

-------------------------------------

Thinking of Baldr. His name could mean "white,light". Grimm says it might be from bold/brave but then this:

But the interpretation of Baldr as "the brave god" may be secondary. Baltic (cf. Lithuanian baltas, Latvian balts) has a word meaning "the white, the good", and Grimm speculates that the name may originate as a Baltic loan into Proto-Germanic. In continental Saxon and Anglo-Saxon tradition, the son of Woden is called not Bealdor but Baldag (Sax.) and Bældæg, Beldeg (AS.), which shows association with "day", possibly with Day personified as a deity which, Grimm points out, would agree with the meaning "shining one, white one, a god" derived from the meaning of Baltic baltas, further adducing Slavic Belobog and German Berhta

This is bald.

English

From Middle English balled (“bald”), from ball (“white spot, blaze”) ( + -ed), from Old English *bala

(“white patch, blaze”), from Proto-Germanic *balô (“flame”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhela- (“light, bright”). Cognate with Danish bældet (“bald”), Gothic - (bala-, “shining, grey (of body)”), Old English bǣl (“fire, flame; funeral pyre”).

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bald

(I have no idea why this is italics) A bald spot is so called because it it is a shiny white spot on your head. O.E Bael as fire is reminiscent of the rituals connected with Bel/Baal actually. With Baldr's wife as Nanna, it really makes me wonder how far these names and words have travelled around.

Then ball: Etymology 1

From Middle English bal, ball, balle, from Old English *beall, *bealla (“round object, ball”) or Old Norse bǫllr (“a ball”) (whence the Icelandic böllur (“scrotum; penis; a ball”)), both from Proto-Germanic *balluz, *ballô (“ball”), from Proto-Indo-European *bholn- (“bubble”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhel- (“to blow, inflate, swell”). Cognate with Old Saxon ball, Dutch bal, Old High German bal, ballo (German Ball (“ball”); Ballen (“bale”)). Related forms in Romance are borrowings from Germanic. See also balloon, bale.

Note PIE in first one - BHELA = light, bright

PIE in second one - BHEL = blow, inflate, swell - which is where they say Bull comes from.

Somehow a ball indicated bright light -

Something like 'ball lightening'

M. l'abbé de Tressan, in Mythology compared with history: or, the fables of the ancients elucidated from historical records:

... during a storm which endangered the ship Argo, fires were seen to play round the heads of the Tyndarides, and the instant after the storm ceased. From that time, those fires which frequently appear on the surface of the ocean were called the fire of Castor and Pollux. When two were seen at the same time, it announced the return of calm, when only one, it was the presage of a dreadful storm. This species of fire is frequently seen by sailors, and is a species of

ignis fatuus

. (page 417)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning

It is conjectured their circular shape symbolises ball lightning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perun

Edited May 15, 2012 by The Puzzler

[The Puzzler]

Otharus - you had Hettema said bael as bad.

Hettema (1832):

Bael, bal, baal ~ kwaad, boos (bad, evil)

By 1874 he had removed bael.

OE bael was flame, fire, funeral pyre - probably never good so could be construed as 'bad' imo.

Maybe it's like tuin as garden, it's not etymologically garden but means garden, rather than town - like bael is not bad etymologically, but it 'means' it.

Edited May 15, 2012 by The Puzzler