The Wind’s Eye
Author: HotForWords
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ok more detailed about vindöga (window)
A House had 2 vindögon. One on each short side. Between the habitat room and outer roof was a sealing. This space is called vind (wind) in Swedish (even today) due to the air flow between the 2 vindögonen. Above the fireplace (on floor level) was a hole in the sealing. When the airflow passes the hole it creates a under pressure and dragging (sucking?) out the smoke from the habitat room.
The vind was used as storage room for food and other things that needed good storage conditions. The combination of airflow, smoke and tar made the vind a exellent place for storage.
However the amount of light, from the vindöga, to the habitat room was very little. For this gluggs were used. These was small 10X10 cm (4×4 inch) due to 2 reasons- 1.The climate and unwillingness to loose heat in winter time. 2 Defence and the possibility to use the bow and still be under protection. The glugg could be sealed with a wooden plug when needed.
the word glugg is still meaning a small opening in Swedish. In the military a bunker have skottglugg (shooting opening). A door migth have tittglugg, an little hole in a door to look trough.
This means we did not have a good word decribing a larger opening for letting in ligth. In Southern Europe the climate was much milder and the need for keeping the heat indoors was much less. Here they could have large openings in the wall in order to let in ligth. (these could often be sealed with wooden doors)
So here we had an word in latin describing a large opening letting in the ligth. Fenestra became fönster in Swedish.
In Denmark and Norway they used the word for the only big opening, exept the door, they knew on a house- the vindöga–window. Then the English speaking followed (ruled by Scandinavians) so today you use a word from an old smoke ventilation system.
Why your proffesional using it i think more is a question of playing smart and try to make people think they have knowledge. But i bet you they can not tell the diffrence between the words : )
I’ve wondered why the Window Industry and Energy Efficiency Professionals in the US often talk about ‘Fenestrations’ rather than Windows.
I’ve been too lazy to look into it up to this point.
Marina gave me the root now so I’m gonna clear that up.
Leave it to her to actually inspire me to do some research…
Could be beacuse window is actually not a correct word. Window or “Vindöga” is a opening on both sides of the roof on a anicent Scandinavian building. By creating a underpressure smoke will be dragged out of the house and led out trough one of the window, depending on wind direction. So window is a part in a old ventilation system for smoke.
For letting in ligth, glugg were used, In Icelandic window is called glugg today. But the glugg opening is very small and does not decribe todays large glass covered openings well. Fenester its a much better word for this.
Thank you so much!
What you say is fascinating to me!
Can you describe it for me further, and point out the difference of a fenestration, and what that means as opposed to our understanding of Window?
Thank you Stella – the people who gather around this site are always amazing to me!
cool…smoke
[smoke] and air of fresh 
…good job to all
hi Marina… i would imagine that the russian okno has something to do with the eye as well. is that true?
random lesson–rated the highest seen thru any window and you are the hottest word nurse, with or without a loanword
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZFURNywy2U
That’s awesome.
This is my favorite lesson.
The Wind’s Eye,
that is so cool.
defenestrate….
In spanish the word for “window” is “ventana”, we can see here the same root: “vent” = “wind”. The particle “vent” has probably a different root than wind although they could seem alike I am not so sure but in german “wind” sounds: “vind” and in spanish “viento” have the same elements (”v”, “i”, “t” since the “t” some times is replaced by “d” or viceversa). The latin “ventus” is related to “aeris” and the greek “aer” wich means the same: “air”, “wind”…
Am I right teacher? =)
Interesting as usual – but got me thinking – the eye of a hurricane is a wind eye – so is that what they mean when they are waiting for a “window on the weather” for shuttle launches, stunts etc?
x for teacher x
headwaves: Interesting as usual, is right…Hurricane sure would make an excellent word request along with to weather this winter; whether is or as a function word, close the window!