Språkkrönika: Anna the gaudy that will with the pitcher

Anna is Sweden's most common nicknames. On 9 december, on the Annadagen, had more than 300,000 Swedish women name day. A third of them have Anna as the first name. In addition, it is 26 men who bear the same first name who has a reason to celebrate.

the Name Anna is a Greek form of the Hebrew channā, which means ”grace”. It became fashionable in Sweden for the first time during the late middle ages. Then the head of the cult of the holy Anna, the virgin Mary's mother. Latest the period when the first name was particularly popular was in the 1970s.

tend to go in cycles. It usually go three generations between storhetstiderna for a first name. In practice, it usually mean that newborn babies often get names that is worn by parents or grandparents. It speaks to Anna is going to be really fashionable again around the year 2060. The one who keeps track of husdjursnamn can get an indication as to when the boom is on again. Research shows – in particular when it comes to pojknamn – her first name which is no longer in fashion, first increasing rapidly among cats and dogs before they again become common for children.

Many of the Sunday namnsdagsbarn have enough at least at some point been called Anna-Jug. The nickname Jug was referring to julbrygden.

Annadagen was long important in the preparations. According to tradition, it was on 9 december that lutfisken would be soaked to be ready just in time for christmas. And the same day it was in parts of Sweden, time to start brewing julölet. In other parts of the country meant Annadagen to the brewing process, instead, would have come so far that it had become time to taste the beer.

namnsdagsbarn have enough at least at some point been called Anna-Jug. The nickname Jug was referring to julbrygden. ”Anna, the bit that comes with the pitcher”, it was said often in the Swedish farming community about the long-awaited smakprovningen. In ancient runkalender marked Annadagen right with a pitcher.

anyone want to take a swig tend to have a good reason on Annadagen. But keep in mind not to celebrate Sunday's all namnsdagsbarn by drinking a whole jug. This capacity – that disappeared when Sweden 1875 went over to the liter – escaped-namely, the whole of the 2.6 litre.

Editor-in-chief of the Språktidningen
anders@spraktidningen.se

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