velta

velta¹ to roll over, tumble

Forms

velta (singular past indicative valt, plural past indicative ultu, past participle oltinn) (strong)^[1]

Etymology

The word for “to roll over, tumble” is inherited from Proto-Germanic *waltaną (“to roll, toss”),^[1] a strong verb.^[2] Orel and Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon set up the Proto-Germanic verb with the vowel e, *weltanan;^[3][4] in West Germanic it corresponds to the reduplicating Old English wealtan and Old High German walzan.^[5][6]

De Vries and Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon take it as a dental extension of Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to turn, roll”), the root of Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (walwjan, “to roll”);^[5][4] Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon compares Lithuanian vélti (“to full (cloth)”) and thinks the ⟨-t-⟩ was first a participle suffix.^[4] Hellquist adds Latin volvō (“to roll”).^[7] The adjective valtr “unsteady” belongs with it.^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The unambiguous strong forms are first dated in Menota in Old Norwegian manuscripts: the participle volltinn in NRA norr fragm 79 (1250–1350), and ꝩallt and uultu in AM 243 bα fol (1270–1280).^[10][11] Fritzner quotes the figurative use ultu allir dómar til stríðrar refsingar “all judgements tended towards severe punishment”.^[12]

Semantic evolution

From the physical sense “to roll, tumble down”, as of two wrestlers who rolled down a slope, the verb came to mean “to turn out, take a turn”, mostly impersonal: valt til vanda “it went the usual way”, veltr þangat sem vera vill “things go the way they are meant to go”.^[2][13][14] The participle oltinn meant “fallen into” a state, as into folly, and útoltinn “run out”, of time.^[12][15] In the Edda veltanda vatn is the rushing river.^[16]

The strong verb survives in Icelandic and Nynorsk; in Swedish and Danish it merged with the causative and took its weak inflection.^[4][7]

Timeline

• 1250–1350 – the participle volltinn in NRA norr fragm 79.^[10]
• 1270–1280 – ꝩallt, uultu and ꝩolltit in AM 243 bα fol.^[11]
• 1290–1310 – vollteð in Holm perg 17 4to.^[17]

Meanings

Verb

1. (intransitive) to roll, roll over, tumble.^[2][18]
2. (impersonal) to turn out, take a course: veltr til vanda, it goes as usual.^[2][13]
3. to fall into a state or condition.^[12][13]

Descendants

• Icelandic velta^[1]
• Norwegian Nynorsk velta^[1]
• Norwegian Bokmål velte^[1]
• Old Swedish vælta^[1]
• Swedish välta^[1]

velta² to roll, set rolling

Forms

velta (singular past indicative velti, plural past indicative veltu, past participle veltr) (weak class 1 (long stem))^[1]

Etymology

The word for “to set rolling” is inherited from Proto-Germanic *waltijaną (“to cause to roll”),^[1] the causative of *waltaną, the source of the strong verb “to tumble”.^[19][5] It is a weak verb taking the dative.^[2] The same causative is Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (waltjan), Old English wieltan and Old High German welzen.^[5][19][20] Its root is the same Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to turn, roll”).^[5][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Menota first dates the weak verb in AM 677 4to (1200–1225), with the reflexive veltisk “rolls itself, turns”, and vælti in AM 619 4to of the same years.^[21][22] Larsson lists the reflexive velteſc in AM 645 4to, among the oldest Icelandic manuscripts.^[23]

Semantic evolution

The verb is used of rolling stones, turf and bodies, and impersonally of a ship that capsizes: því næst velti skipinu.^[2][12] The reflexive veltask means “to roll oneself, revolve”, of the sun and of a horse;^[18][13] veltask ór konungdómi “to give up one's kingdom” took up a symbolic act in which a king rolled down from the high seat to the earl's seat.^[18][13] In the laws it means to overturn or capsize a boat.^[24] Icelandic velta has added the senses “to plough” and “to turn over (money)”.^[4]

Timeline

• 1200–1225 – veltisk, velt and velta in AM 677 4to, and vælti in AM 619 4to.^[21][22]
• 1225–1250 – the reflexive vælltazt in DG 8 II.^[25]
• 1270–1290 – veltizk in AM 519 a 4to.^[26]

Meanings

Verb

1. to roll, set rolling (with dative).^[2][18]
2. (impersonal) to capsize, of a ship.^[2][13]
3. (law) to overturn, upset.^[24]
4. (reflexive, veltask) to turn oneself, revolve, roll about; to give up a rank.^[2][13]

Descendants

• Icelandic velta^[1]
• Norwegian Nynorsk velta^[1]
• Norwegian Bokmål velte^[1]
• Old Swedish vælta^[1]
• Swedish välta^[1]
• Danish vælte^[1]