[GalFisk] Sleep

[GalFisk]

How did many Swedes end up with a scrund about a tree?

If you're new to the forum, "scrund" is a word we've made up for a misconception that persists because there seldom is any occasion to examine it closer.

[Sarisberie]

Love the word! Is 'scrund' always a noun? Are the Swedes Swedish people, the vegetable, other? In this usage, does 'about' indicate something tied round a tree, or an action such as running around or in the vicinity of? Or something like 'a story about a tree''? Should we examine it closer? Just go with it? Do something else?

[Biograd1]

Is it a tree that grows/is common in Sweden? or does it relevantly NOT exist there, so they are unfamiliar with the actual tree in real life?

Did they get the scrund from some type of creative work that many people in Sweden have seen/heard (such as a film, TV show, book, song, etc.)? from a Swedish word that is a false cognate of a word in another language used to describe the tree? from the actual name of the tree in Swedish?

[GalFisk]

Love the word! Is 'scrund' always a noun? Yes. Are the Swedes Swedish people Yes., the vegetable, other? In this usage, does 'about' indicate something tied round a tree, or an action such as running around or in the vicinity of? No to both. Or something like 'a story about a tree''? No. Should we examine it closer? Yes. Just go with it? Do something else?


Is it a tree that grows/is common in Sweden? Yes. or does it relevantly NOT exist there, so they are unfamiliar with the actual tree in real life? No.

Did they get the scrund from some type of creative work that many people in Sweden have seen/heard (such as a film, TV show, book, songYes. This., etc.)? from a Swedish word that is a false cognate of a word in another language used to describe the tree? No. from the actual name of the tree in Swedish? No.

[Sundowner64]

Is it a tree commonly used as home decoration? during Christmas?

[Sarisberie]

Would it help to know the purpose of the tree? Of the scrund? Does the scrund = the tree? Does it matter which kind of tree it is, or would any tree do? Its location? Could the scrund be somewhere else, other than Sweden?

[Biograd1]

Does the scrund relate to the height/size of the tree? the fruit (if any) it bears? its flowers? the color or shape of the leaves? the seasons in which it does something (loses leaves, blooms, has fruit, etc.)? its relationship--botanically speaking--to other trees?

Just to check, am I correct in assuming that "a tree" should be read as "a species of tree" (as opposed to one very specific tree, for example a famous one that grows in a major city square in Stockholm or something like that)?

[GalFisk]

Is it a tree commonly used as home decoration? Yes, but irr. during Christmas? No.

Would it help to know the purpose of the tree? No. Of the scrund? The scrund has no purpose, it just exists. Does the scrund = the tree? No. Does it matter which kind of tree it is Yes., or would any tree do? No, though I suppose a similar scrund could arise about any tree. Its location? No. Could the scrund be somewhere else, other than Sweden? Not this one, but possibly similar ones, I don't know.


Does the scrund relate to the height/size of the tree? the fruit (if any) it bears? its flowers? the color or shape of the leaves? the seasons in which it does something (loses leaves, blooms, has fruit, etc.)? its relationship--botanically speaking--to other trees? No to all.

Just to check, am I correct in assuming that "a tree" should be read as "a species of tree" (as opposed to one very specific tree, for example a famous one that grows in a major city square in Stockholm or something like that)? Yes, this is correct.

[Sundowner64]

Is it exactly one species of tree? birch? ivy? oak? holly? willow?
Is the scrund about some physical quality of the tree? about its trunk? branches? twigs? leaves? roots? flowers? fruits? seeds?
About one single tree as such? or, rather a group of such trees? a bush or forest?
About uses of the tree? About animals living on such trees?
Is the song a children song? a popular traditional song? a song that is usually sung at school?

[GalFisk]

Is it exactly one species of tree? birch? ivy? oak? holly? willow? Yes, this.
Is the scrund about some physical quality of the tree? No. about its trunk? branches? twigs? leaves? roots? flowers? But these are relevant. fruits? seeds?
About one single tree as such? no. or, rather a group of such trees? a bush or forest? No to both. Just the tree in general.
About uses of the tree? About animals living on such trees? No to both.
Is the song a children song? Yes. a popular traditional song? It is well known in Sweden. a song that is usually sung at school? School or preschool, and at home.

[Sarisberie]

Does the song involve the children - or others - dancing round the tree? Time of year relevant? May Day, Easter, other? Anything important or related to the willow? Weeping willow? Characteristics of the tree, such as, you can weave willow into baskets? Bees relevant?

[Sundowner64]

Is the scrund about willow catkins?
Is it that some people believe the catkins are female, while they're, in fact, male flowers?

[GalFisk]

Is the scrund about willow catkins? No, but the song is.
Is it that some people believe the catkins are female, while they're, in fact, male flowers? No.

Does the song involve the children - or others - dancing round the tree? No. Time of year relevant? Mildly. May Day, Easter, other? Other. Anything important or related to the willow? Weeping willow? Characteristics of the tree, such as, you can weave willow into baskets? Bees relevant? No to all.

[Sundowner64]

Is the scrund about willow flowers, basically? about when they appear? when they disappear? about other parts of the willow?
Would the scrund become obvious when one just looks at a willow? at willow flowers? would someone who has a willow in the garden have this scrund?

[GalFisk]

Is the scrund about willow flowers, basically? No. The song is, but not the scrund. about when they appear? when they disappear? about other parts of the willow? No to all.
Would the scrund become obvious when one just looks at a willow? at willow flowers? No to both. would someone who has a willow in the garden have this scrund? They could, yes.

[trebor2]

Is the song of Swedish origin? Otherwise Scandinavian? European (including UK, Ireland, Iceland, etc.)? African? North American? South American? Asian? Oceanian? Is it a song composed in this century? The latter half of the 20th? The first half of it? Earlier? Is it in Swedish? English? Another language, relevantly?

The fact that sometimes they're called pussy willows relevant? Are weeping willows relevant?

[GalFisk]

Is the song of Swedish origin? Fenno-Swedish. Otherwise Scandinavian? European (including UK, Ireland, Iceland, etc.)? African? North American? South American? Asian? Oceanian? Is it a song composed in this century? The latter half of the 20th? The first half of it? Earlier? This. Is it in Swedish? Yes. English? Another language, relevantly?

The fact that sometimes they're called pussy willows relevant? Are weeping willows relevant? No to both.

[Biograd1]

It seems like we're running out of characteristics of a tree that this scrund could be about...

Does the scrund relate to where the name of the tree comes from (linguistically speaking)? Where the willow tree itself comes from (i.e. in what part of the world it originated)? what humans use willow trees for? what animals live in or around the trees? what type of environment (climate, sun exposure, soil, etc.) willows "like"?

[GalFisk]

It seems like we're running out of characteristics of a tree that this scrund could be about...
See below.

Does the scrund relate to where the name of the tree comes from (linguistically speaking)? No, but OTRT. Where the willow tree itself comes from (i.e. in what part of the world it originated)? what humans use willow trees for? what animals live in or around the trees? what type of environment (climate, sun exposure, soil, etc.) willows "like"? No to the rest.

[Sundowner64]

Is the word "willow" relevant? the word for "willow" in Swedish language? any rhyme, homophone or homonyme of it?

[GalFisk]

Is the word "willow" relevant? the word for "willow" in Swedish language? Yes. any rhyme, homophone or homonyme of it?

This is close enough tor a
***SPOILER***

A popular lullaby in Sweden begins with "Sov du lilla vide ung" ("sleep, you little willow young").
Putting "young" after "willow" is grammatically unusual and done for the sake of rhyming, but many kids don't understand this, and grow up thinking the Swedish name for willow ("vide") is actually the equivalent of "willowyoung" ("videung").
It doesn't help that there exists a brand named "Videung of Sweden". Also, the similar-sounding Swedish words "ljung" (heather) and "dunge" (grove) can further help to anchor "videung" as yet another nature-related word in a Swedish child's mind.

Trivia:
The lyrics were written in 1869 as a small play with roles for children, by Finnish poet and author Zachris Topelius, who wrote many works in Swedish.
Swedish composer of children's songs, Alice Tegner, wrote a melody for the lyrics in 1895.
Swedish children's book author and artist Elsa Beskow made a lovely illustation for the song (click for bigger):