Middelfart is a town in central Denmark, with a population of 13,330 (2003). It is in Middelfart municipality on the island of Funen (Danish: Fyn). Near it are two big bridges over the Little Belt sea strait. Middelfart is serviced by the passenger rail service between Copenhagen and Jutland. The Cultural Center (Kulturøen; literally, The Culture Island), contains the town library, a cinema, a restaurant, a café, and the tourist office.
The name Middelfart sounds like a bodily function in English. Directly translated from Danish, it actually means passage in the middle - and refers to one of the three ferry links formerly connecting the island with the peninsula of Jutland.
Middelfart was founded around 1200 A.D. The first written account of Middelfart is the name Mæthælfart in Kong Valdemars Jordebog (13th century). Later this name was shortened to Melfar. This short form is still popular in names of shops, institutions and events, e.g. Melfar-Posten, a local weekly.
I actually took German all through middle school and high school, so had an idea of the true meaning. And yet I still think it sounds funny! Maybe it's something you get from raising boys.
4 comments:
Cool, does it spin?
OK, I assume nobody is going to touch the word "middlefart" with a ten foot pole?
Middelfart is a town in central Denmark, with a population of 13,330 (2003). It is in Middelfart municipality on the island of Funen (Danish: Fyn).
Near it are two big bridges over the Little Belt sea strait. Middelfart is serviced by the passenger rail service between Copenhagen and Jutland. The Cultural Center (Kulturøen; literally, The Culture Island), contains the town library, a cinema, a restaurant, a café, and the tourist office.
The name Middelfart sounds like a bodily function in English. Directly translated from Danish, it actually means passage in the middle - and refers to one of the three ferry links formerly connecting the island with the peninsula of Jutland.
Middelfart was founded around 1200 A.D. The first written account of Middelfart is the name Mæthælfart in Kong Valdemars Jordebog (13th century). Later this name was shortened to Melfar. This short form is still popular in names of shops, institutions and events, e.g. Melfar-Posten, a local weekly.
I actually took German all through middle school and high school, so had an idea of the true meaning. And yet I still think it sounds funny! Maybe it's something you get from raising boys.
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