LL-L: "Songs" (was "Etymology") [E/S] LOWLANDS-L, 09.OCT.1999 (02)

Sat Oct 9 21:49:34 UTC 1999

 =========================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 09.OCT.1999 (02) * ISSN 1089-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/~sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 =========================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
 =========================================================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =========================================================================

From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk]
Subject: "Etymology"

Ron wrote:

> Woldestu yo [1] min boleken [2] wesen,
> ik wolde di en par klypken gheuen,
> wo behaghet di dat?
> Bolekin lat aff [4],
> bolekin lat aff [4],
> io [1] du mer [5] nu lecht,
> io [1] du mer vorloren hefft,
> bolekin, dat helpet di nicht en kaff [6].
>
> Wouldst thou be my sweetheart [2] (indeed [1])?
> I would give you a few cookies [3].
> How does that please you?
> Sweetheart, let be [4]!
> Sweetheart, let be [4]!
> The more [5] thou now dost lie,
> the more [5] thou hast lost,
> Sweetheart, that helpeth thee not a bit [6].
>
> [1] I take _yo_ and _io_ to be related to modern _ja_ ~ _jo_ (1), 'yes',
> 'aye', (2) positively reinforcing particle, e.g., 'indeed', 'after all',
> 'truly' (like Scots _aye_?)

Scots "aye" means "always" or "forever" (and in some dialects also "still"),
e.g. Scots signing their letters "Yours aye" mean "Yours always" (and I at
least don't use it lightly - "aye" is a lot more "eternal" than the English
equivalent) not "Yours truly". The Scottish National Dictionary says it
corresponds to Old Norse "ey" and German "je".

If the word "yo" did correspond to the Scots "aye", it would translate
perfectly:

"Wouldst thou forever be my sweetheart?"

or in Scots:

"Wad thoo aye ma [sweetheart] be?"

For "sweetheart" read whatever suitable Scots word you think best: jo,
hinny, dearie, sweethert - I can't think of a Scots word for "paramour"
though - probably just "paramour".

On similar themes, one of the greatest Scots songs of courtship is "Ca the
Yowes", and if you've never heard this song it's well worth hunting down the
music:

Chorus:

Ca the yowes tae the knowes
Ca them whare the burnie rowes
Ca them whare the heather growes
Ma bonny dearie

She:
As A gaed doun the watter side
Thare A met ma shephert lad
He rowed me sweetly in his pleyd
An caa'd me his dearie

(Chorus)

He:
Wull ye gang doun the watter side
Ablo the hazels spreidin wide
An A sall rowe thee in ma pleyd
The muin it shines fou clearly

(Chorus)

She:
A wis bred up at nae sic schuil
Ma shephert lad, tae pley the fuil
An aa the day tae sit in duil
Wi naeb'dy tae see me

(Chorus)

He:
Ye sall git gouns an ribands meet
Cauf-leather shuin upon thy feet
An in ma airms ye s' lie an sleep
An ye sall be ma dearie

(Chorus)

She:
If ye'll but staun bi what ye'v said
A s' gang wi you, ma shephert lad
An ye mey rowe me in yer pleyd
An A sall be yer dearie

(Chorus)

He:
While watters wimple tae the sea
While day blinks in the lift sae hie
Till cley-cauld daith sall blinnd ma ee
Ye sall be ma dearie.

ca - drive
yowe - ewe
knowe - knoll
burnie - streamlet
bonny - lovely, pretty
watter - water
spreidin - spreading
ablo - below
gae - go
rowe - wrap, roll, flow
sall - shall
s' - shall
pleyd - plaid
muin - moon
fou - full
doun, goun - down, gown
bred up - brought up
nae sic schuil - no such school
fuil - fool
duil - sorrow
naeb'dy - nobody
ribands - ribbons
cauf - calf
shuin - shoes
airms - arms
staun - stand
gang - go/walk
bi - by
mey - may
wimple - weave, flow (like water over rocks)
blinks - shines
lift - sky
sae - so
hie - high
cley - cley
cauld - cold
daith - death
blinnd - blind
ee - eye

Sandy
http://scotstext.org

----------

From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Etymology

Thanks for your comments (above), Sandy.  Incidentally, I have always been able
to relate well to Scots 'aye', due to its similarities to German _ja_ and Low
Saxon (Low German) _ja_ ~ _jo_ ~ _je_ in certain contexts, and I miss a close
equivalent in English.  It seems that Middle Low Saxon _yo_ ~ _io_ was even
closer to _aye_.

Thanks also for the words of "Ca the Yowes."  It was one of the first Scots
songs I ever learned (eons ago), and I've always found it rather charming.
"Charming" may not be the best description for the two somewhat risqué Low Saxon
songs found in the 16th century book, the once I shared here.  In fact, I hope
they have not offended anyone.  I find them interesting in a scholastic,
historical and linguistic sense, but, apart from the sexual references, they do
not exactly seem "moral" or "ethical" in today's world, dealing with what seems
to be a gray area between seduction and rape.  Of course, moral standards have
changed, but ...  Anyway,  I now tend to suspect them of being less "folksongs"
than "tavern songs," some type of Renaissance entertainment for a carousing male
audience.  It is interesting to note that they and a few songs about everyday
life ended up in a collection together with courting songs, love songs ducal
anthems, and even a Christmas carol.

Best regards,

Reinhard/Ron

==================================END======================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
 =========================================================================