Editing Laufey (mythology) (section)

== Name ==
The meaning of the [[Old Norse]] name ''Laufey'' is not clear, but it is generally taken to be related to ''lauf'' ('[[leaves]], [[foliage]]'),{{Sfn|de Vries|1962|p=347}}{{Sfn|Simek|1996|pp=186–187}} perhaps attached to the [[suffix]] -''ey'' (found in female [[Personal name|personal names]] like ''Bjargey'', ''Þórey)'', or deriving from an hypothetical tree-goddess named ''*lauf-awiaz'' ('the leafy').{{Sfn|de Vries|1962|p=347}}{{efn|{{Harvnb|de Vries|1957|p=263 n. 1}} and {{harvnb|de Vries|1962|p=347}} also indicate that [[Hugo Gering]] interpreted Nál as "killer" and Laufey as "member of a distinguished clan", comparing the name with the [[Gothic language|Gothic]] ''ga-laufs'' ('valuable, costly') and the [[Old High German]] ''ga-loub'' ('inspiring trust'). {{harvnb|Lindow|2001|p=208}} states that "her name looks as though it should mean 'Leaf-island', but that would be a strange name."|group=note|name=}}

Since the name of her spouse ''[[Fárbauti]]'' means "dangerous hitter", a possible natural mythological interpretation has been proposed by some scholars, with lightning hitting the leaves, or needles of a tree to give rise to fire.<ref>[[Axel Kock]], "Etymologisch-mythologische Untersuchungen", ''Indogermanische Forschungen'' 10 (1899) 90-111; summary in ''Jahresbericht über die Erscheinungen auf dem Gebiete der germanischen Philologie'' 21 (1899) [https://books.google.com/books?id=FuhqFyqbjlQC&dq=Axel+Kock+Blitz+Laufey&pg=PA37 p. 37] {{in lang|de}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Simek|1996|p=78}}, but p. 227 he doubts that Nál is the same person as Laufey, and considers relating the latter name to death, as in [[Naglfar]].</ref>