telda

Faroese

Etymology

Neologism by Jóhan Hendrik Winther Poulsen of 1984. He was inspired by the Icelandic neologism tölva (a combination of tal and völva), and wanted to replace the older Faroese terms roknari and dátutól (‘computer’, ‘data tool’). He first formed the word teld from tal (‘number’) according to a pattern like many feminine Faroese nouns are formed: tyngd (‘weight’), from tungur (‘heavy’), nøgd (‘plenty’), from nóg (‘enough’), grend (‘neighbourhood’), from granni (‘neighbour’). Thus, teld (‘automatic data processing’), from tal (‘number’). From this teld, Poulsen formed the term for the device for data processing after the pattern in words like ríva (‘rake’), which is like in English both a verb and a noun.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

telda f (genitive singular teldu, plural teldur)

  1. computer

Declension
Declension of telda
f1 singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative telda teldan teldur teldurnar
accusative teldu telduna teldur teldurnar
dative teldu telduni teldum teldunum
genitive teldu teldunnar telda teldanna

References
  1. Kári Davidsen, Jonhard Mikkelsen: Ein ferð inní føroyskt. Tórshavn 1993 (p. 29 ff.)
  2. Árnason, Kristján (2011) The Phonology of Icelandic and Faroese (The Phonology of the World's Languages) (in English), Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 116
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