hello dearie,

could you find gran some info on the word 'berserk'?  all I know is
that its meaning is derived from a Norse Warrior (Mr. Berserker??)
who fought with frenzied rage in battle.  also dictionary lists:
baresark, berserkr (which is Icelandic).  says "to ber-" meaning and
origin uncertain + serkr {sark}.

nothin' fancy-schmancy, and don't go back to the Crusades or anything;
just tell me what else you can find on this word.  no rush whatsoevah.

thanks a snowballful,
GB

A snowballfull?

Never heard that before.

I bet you made it up to make me laugh.

Bryan

why, yes. yes, indeed, Bryan.  it's what I live for.  granny also
likes to make up words and throw them at people.

if I know Leli, as I do from her work, she's probably chashing down
the ancestry of Leif Eriksson trying to find out something interesting
about this word and there may be nothing.

my guess is that 'to ber' is Icelandic for 'to shiver fiercely while
ice fishing'  and then going berserk having caught nothing for one's
efforts.  we know not what goes on those icy planes, freaky fjords,
and the land of Js, Ks and double Ss now, do we?

and the 'sark' may have something to do with Cutty Sark which causes
granny to lurch around Sunday mornings in her robe and slippers while
wearing her Viking headdress.  pure speculation on my part.

I'd better close this.