interesting 'Viking' map of the world

[Imperial Dave]

http://thedockyards.com/map-viking-world-placenames-old-norse-language/#.WRx-Eb3OzHQ.facebook

not seen this before but interesting to see the influence of Scandinavian culture on our language

[Patrick Waterson]

Interesting that for all the Byzantine Empire's attempts to portray itself as the Roman Empire, to the Vikings it was just 'Grikkland'.  Its capital was 'Mikligard' - 'big city'.

[Andreas Johansson]

"Grikk" (with variants - Mod. Swed. grek) is picked up from western European languages. I guess the interesting thing is that, despite tolerably close contacts between Scandinavia and Byzantium, Latin/Romance/Western influence was strong enough to beat out anything of Greek derivation.

(And it's not just a learned usage by Icelandic scholars - there are runestones commemorating men who went to "Grikkland", or "griklant" to approximate runic spelling.)

A funny one is Serkland (also spelled Särkland, Særkland) - presumably from "Saracen", but sounding like it should mean "Shirtland".

[Jim Webster]

"Grikk" (with variants - Mod. Swed. grek) is picked up from western European languages. I guess the interesting thing is that, despite tolerably close contacts between Scandinavia and Byzantium, Latin/Romance/Western influence was strong enough to beat out anything of Greek derivation.

(And it's not just a learned usage by Icelandic scholars - there are runestones commemorating men who went to "Grikkland", or "griklant" to approximate runic spelling.)

A funny one is Serkland (also spelled Särkland, Særkland) - presumably from "Saracen", but sounding like it should mean "Shirtland".

because they wore long shirts that they didn't tuck into their trousers?   

[Imperial Dave]

very recognisable words (to me) and just a reminder of our varied heritage in the British Isles - during the 'Viking Age' we tended to look 'down' towards the world from a very Northern perspective

[Patrick Waterson]

A funny one is Serkland (also spelled Särkland, Særkland) - presumably from "Saracen", but sounding like it should mean "Shirtland".

Anything to do with Serica ('Silk-land', China)?

[Hannipaul]

Serkland does indeed refer to "Skirts"! In Norse (and Yorkshire dialect where Serkless means naked)) Serk means a simple tunic (clearly referring to the Arabic clothing)
The English derivatives are skirt and shirt. In Anglo-Saxon the "sh" sound is the equivalent to the Norse "sk". Indeed one fundamental difference between the two languages is the several softer Saxon sounds are replaced in Norse with harder sounds in particular sh by sk and ch by k. You can hear this "Hard v Soft" difference between modern Swedish and modern German words.

[Andreas Johansson]

Both the "skirt" and "Serica" etymologies have been advanced; but the "Saracen" one is the standard one.

The "Serica" one strikes me as rather random - how and why would a name for distant China come to be applied to the relatively familiar Middle East?

As for "shirt", if the place was named for Arab dress, you'd expect it to be named for something distinctively Arab. The serkr was a standard piece of Scandinavian dress, hardly something you'd identify a particular brand of foreigner by. However, folk etymology might easily have helped turning Saracenland into Serkland.

Also, the Scandinavian cognate of "shirt" is not serkr but Old Norse skyrta (from which Modern English "skirt"), Modern Swedish skjorta.

[Patrick Waterson]

The "Serica" one strikes me as rather random - how and why would a name for distant China come to be applied to the relatively familiar Middle East?

Through the Silk Road trade with the Roman Empire.

[Hannipaul]

Hi Andreas. I, off course, acknowledge your far better knowledge when it comes to linguistics and your native language.
I think I may have misread the original point.  I had always understood that the term Serkland was a generic and general reference to the Arabic lands. The reference to the long single ubiquitous garment worn by Arabs, would been an easy way to refer to the lands were it was worn. Serk is North Yorkshire dialect word for a single long tunic (as in a nightshirt or woman's under-garment or slip) which I understood was of Old Norse origin and I made a rather amateurish connection. As for the link between the related concepts of shirt and skirt I have read it given as an example of modern English words deriving from a common origin but differentiated by the distinctive differences of the soft (Saxon) sh and the hard (Norse) sk. But of course that simple observation is not helped by the fact that modern Swedish "skjorta" is pronounced with a soft sh!

Perhaps I should observe Wichtenstein's dictum "On those matters which one knows nothing, one should remain silent"! 

[Erpingham]

Serk is North Yorkshire dialect word for a single long tunic (as in a nightshirt or woman's under-garment or slip)

Cf Scots sark as in Cutty Sark - a short shift or nightshirt.