Re: The Scream

On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:07:45 GMT, the Omrud <usenet.omrud@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

frderek@xxxxxxxxxxx had it ...

HVS wrote:
On 31 Aug 2007, iwasaki wrote

It seems to be confusing that Munch's famous painting is
called several different titles in English. What the
person in the painting is doing is "scream", "shriek",
or "cry"?

I don't think it's particularly confusing: it's due to trying to
accurately translate the specific meaning of the Norwegian title
"Skrik".

The Norwegian word is apparently related to the English "shriek",
which explains that translation.

The *meaning* of "skrik", however (as I understand it -- I don't know
Norwegian and am happy to be corrected) is apparently closer to
"scream" in English than to "shriek" in English, which explains why
that's the most common name.

I assume "The Cry" (which is much less common) is yet another attempt
to get closer to the actual sense of the Norwegian "skrik" as used by
Munch.

That's interesting because 'skryke' (sp?) is a dialect word in the north
of England - obviously a Viking borrowing!

True - it's a noise made by babies. I have no idea how to spell it
though.

I made a guess.

OED (with selected quotations):

skrike, v.

Now only dial.: see Eng. Dial. Dict. s.v. Scrike.
[Prob. of Scandinavian origin: cf. Norw. skrika (str. vb.),
Da. skrige. See also SHRIEK.]

1. intr. To utter a shrill harsh cry; = SCREAK v. 1.

1590 GREENE _Never too late_ (1600) 98 Hee is such a sneaking
fellowe, that..touch him and he will scrike. 1596 SPENSER F.Q.
VI. iv. 18 The litle babe did loudly scrike and squall.

2. To weep, cry.
1905 Eng. Dial. Dict. V. s.v., Hoo skrite't so when hur mother
deed I thow't hoo'd ne'er ha done. ...
1977 P. CARTER Under Goliath xxvi. 142, I stood there..skriking
my eyes out like a mammy's boy...
1978 Lancashire Life Apr. 42/3 Second un poor little soul Did
nuthin' else but skrike.

Hence {sm}skriking vbl. n. and ppl. a.; {sm}skriker, one who
skrikes.

skrike, n.

1. A shrill cry, a screech; = SCREAK n.
1548 UDALL Erasm. Par., Mark xv. 37 Jesus..gaue a great skryke,
and therwith yelded vp the ghost.

2. skrike of day, the dawn. Cf. SCREAK n. 3.

And:

screak, n.

Now chiefly dial.

[f. SCREAK v.]

1. A shrill cry; a shrill grating sound.
1799 SOUTHEY Eng. Ecl., Dancing Bear 3, I would rather hear
cat-courtship Under my bed-room window in the night, Than this
scraped catgut's screak.

b. in a screek, ? crying out with pain.

2. A name for some species of SHRIKE.

3. screak of day, daybreak (dial.: see E.D.D.). Cf. SKREIGH,
SKRIKE, CREEK n.2, CREKING.

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Scream
    ... I assume "The Cry" is yet another ... I always thought "skrike" and, by yiminey, that's what the OED thinks. ... The litle babe did loudly scrike and squall. ... Hence "skriking vbl. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: The Scream
    ... I assume "The Cry" is yet another ... I always thought "skrike" and, by yiminey, that's what the OED thinks. ... The litle babe did loudly scrike and squall. ... Hence "skriking vbl. ...
    (alt.usage.english)