29 June 2017

Ifkja was a KANTE Fryas?

With one look in the dictionary by Jan Pannekeet (1984) of the Westfrisian dialect (North-Holland), the equivocal adjective KANT was finally explained:

Kant in Westfries Woordenboek
by Jan Pannekeet 1984
Swabian girl on postcard

kant, adj. handsome, clever, robust, firm, comely, beautiful [...] Literally, kant or kantig means 'still having sharp edges', that is: not eroded, unpolished, still whole or sound. [...]


[155/32]
JFKJA WÉR.NE KANTE FRÍAS
Ifkja was a [ ? ? ? ] Fryas (-daughter)


Note the variety in the existing translations:

flinke (robust, firm, comely) - Ottema, Overwijn, Jensma*, De Heer
clever - Sandbach
rechte (right) - Wirth
wendige (agile, nimble) - Schröder
fine - Raubenheimer
tüchtige/ kantige (proficient/ edged) - Menkens**
skattet (cherished) - Lien
* Jensma noted that kant means lief (lovable) in modern Frisian and according to a Dutch dictionary, but still translated it as flink.
** Menkens noted that various translations of kant exist. German kantig is not used metaphorically for women, only to describe a phisical appearance.


I like the literal meaning as given in the Westfrisian dictionary. Therefore my provisional (still unofficial) suggestion is:

Ifkja was a sharp-edged Frya*.


* I am not yet sure how to translate FRÍAS or FRYAS which is used for both singular and plural in the manuscript. My editors advised sing. Frya, and plur. Fryas. This is what the other translators made of it:
Friesin/ Friezin - Ottema, Jensma
Frisian - Sandbach, Raubenheimer 
friser(inne) - Lien  
Fryas - Wirth, Menkens
Fryase - Overwijn, De Heer

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