Summary
Highlights
The speaker introduces the topic of Proto-Germanic farming vocabulary, emphasizing the sensitive nature of language reconstruction and its connection to Iron Age farming practices. While acknowledging that there isn't a direct one-to-one correlation between speakers and farming methods, the geographical and temporal overlap justifies this exploration as a theoretical connection rather than a documented historical account. Farming was well-established in Scandinavia during this period, with the majority of food coming from agriculture.
Research by Radoslav Grabowsky on Iron Age Jutland cereal crops indicates that barley (Butters) was the dominant crop, specifically hulled barley, which was more nutritious. The preference for hulled barley is linked to increased manuring of fields. Other crops with reconstructable names include wheat (whitias), oats (habros), and flax (flaohs). Flax seeds were eaten, and its stems were used for linen.
Grains like barley needed processing to separate the edible corn from the inedible chaff. The process involved threshing (threeskana) by bashing the grain to remove the chaff. While direct evidence for flail threshing in the Scandinavian Iron Age is scarce, the separation of grain from chaff indicates some form of threshing occurred. After threshing, winnowing (wincyonna) was used to separate the lighter chaff from the heavier grain, likely by tossing the mixture in the air.
Common livestock included cattle (kauls), pigs (sweins), sheep (skepas), and horses (awhos). All were eaten, with horses possibly reserved for special occasions. Farms were integral to society. Studies of Iron Age farms, like one in southern Sweden by Maria Peterson, reveal dwellings, yards with cooking pits, and fenced off areas, with no evidence of indoor animal housing. Livestock protection from predators and insects, as well as managing free-roaming animals, were significant aspects of herding.
Pigs were primarily for meat, while sheep provided wool, and potentially milk. Cows were used for meat, milk, and traction, with 'oxen' (teuzon) possibly referring to working cows. Domestic fowl like chickens (kukaz) and geese (gansz) were introduced during the Pre-Roman Iron Age. Chickens came from Asia, and geese may have been domesticated locally or introduced from elsewhere.
The Proto-Germanic word 'barley' (baraz) evolves into modern 'barley' and in Old Norse, includes meanings for 'pine needles,' suggesting a semantic shift related to spiky plants. 'Wheat' (hwaitjaz) directly leads to modern English 'wheat.' 'Oats' (habraz), related to the word for 'goat,' likely meant 'goat food,' highlighting how linguistic connections can reveal ancient dietary practices. 'Flax' (flaohs) and 'linen' (linan) are direct ancestors of their English counterparts. 'Corn' (kornam) historically referred to grain in general in British English but shifted to maize in North American English. The verb 'to thresh' (threskanan) also shows clear descendants in modern Germanic languages. 'Weevil' (wibilaiz) points to a broader category of pest insects in Proto-Germanic.