By Svante Strandberg
In: Ortnamnssällskapets i Uppsala årsskrift 2018
Summary
Tordyveln is the name of a very small lake in the Södermanland parishes of Flen, Forssa and Vadsbro (Tordyfveln 1677). The name is probably linked to the word tordyvel ‘dung beetle’. The little lake is in a hollow and has a relatively inaccessible shoreline, surrounded by forest. The question is whether the name Tordyveln refers to the occurrence of beetles here or whether it is a metaphor, expressing the lake’s perceived resemblance to a dung beetle. A definite choice between these two alternatives is hardly possible, but the author finds the interpretation of Tordyveln as a metaphorical name the more appealing.