Date: 23 Dec 1998 23:04:09 +0100 From: Dag-Erling Smorgrav <des@flood.ping.uio.no> To: Jeroen Ruigrok/Asmodai <asmodai@wxs.nl> Cc: Mark Ovens <marko@uk.radan.com>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Crazy Laws Message-ID: <xzpyanytt0m.fsf@flood.ping.uio.no> In-Reply-To: Jeroen Ruigrok/Asmodai's message of "Wed, 23 Dec 1998 20:48:45 %2B0100 (CET)" References: <XFMail.981223204845.asmodai@wxs.nl>
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Jeroen Ruigrok/Asmodai <asmodai@wxs.nl> writes:
> On 23-Dec-98 Mark Ovens wrote:
> > I guess Dag-Erling and Eivind must be on the
> > approved list ;-)
> Well, given the fact that the language-branches of Scandanavian
> tongues, Dutch, Suid-Afrikaans, English, Gaelic, German are all
> descendants of one common tree, that would make their names as
> normal as your Mark ;)
I think you're going too far back in time there - while all the
languages you mention descend from indo-european, there is an
important distinction between Germanic and Latin languages. Mark is a
latin name, while Dag, Erling and Eivind are germanic names. The
reason why Mark (Markus, Marcus, Marc, Marco etc.) is such a
widespread name has a very simple explanation: it is the name of one
of the twelve disciples... No disciple was named Dag, Erling or Eivind
(Eyvind, Øyvind, Øivind). ISTR there is a saint named Eivind or some
variation thereof, but none named Dag or Erling. This may explain that
there are approximately 25,000 Norwegians whose first name begins with
Eivind or some variation thereof (I think it's a pretty common middle
name too), but only about 10,000 whose name begins with Dag, and two
thirds of them (including me) have a compound name. There are also
about 10,000 people named Erling, and one third of them have a
compound name.
As to the reason why name laws are so strict in Norway: Norwegians are
taught that individuality is a mortal sin, and the government is hell-
bent on reducing symptoms of individuality in any way they can: if you
can't teach kids that they shouldn't laugh at people with strange
names, disallow strange names. If you can't teach kids to accept that
others may be smarter than them, make sure none of them get too smart
for the likes of their peers. This is what makes a good socialist
country.
There is something called "Janteloven" ("The law of Jante", from Aksel
Sandemoses book "A refugee crosses his tracks") which goes like:
* Thou shalt not think that thou art special
* Thou shalt not think that thou art as wise as us
* Thou shalt not think that thou art wiser than us
* Thou shalt not imagine that thou art better than us
* Thou shalt not think that thou knowest more than us
* Thou shalt not think that thou art more than us
* Thou shalt not think that thou art good for anything
* Thou shalt not laugh at us
* Thou shalt not think that anyone cares about thou
* Thou shalt not think that thou canst teach us anything
Unfortunately, at some point during the reconstruction after the war,
someone must have confused that book with the Norwegian constitution
and decided that they would build the country on these principles.
DES
--
Dag-Erling Smorgrav - des@flood.ping.uio.no
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