LL-L: "Morphology" LOWLANDS-L, 06.JAN.2000 (01) [E]

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

Dear Lowlanders,

I would like to introduce to you two fairly interesting types of verb+noun
compounds in Low Saxon (Low German), and I hope for your analytical input as
well as information about possible similarities in other Lowlands, or
generally in Germanic languages.  These particular compounds tend to seem
rather striking and strange to speakers of German, and I am wondering if they
are unique to Low Saxon.

Type 1:  [verb+noun] > [verb]
The root of a transitive verb is directly followed by a noun (the object), and
this compound constitutes the stem of a weak verb (primary stress falling on
the first, verb-derived syllable); e.g.,

/Süd-/ (shake) + /kop/ (head) > /Südkop-/ _schüttkopp-_ 'shake one's head'
_schüddkoppen_ ['Syt,kOpm] 'to shake one's head', _ick schüddkopp_ 'I
shake/shook my head', _he schüddkoppt_ 'he shakes his head', _wie hebbt
alltohoop schüddkoppt_ ("we have all shaken our heads") 'we all shook our
heads', etc.

/nik-/ (nod) + /kop/ (head) > /nikkop-/ _nickkopp-_ 'nod'
_nickkoppen_ ['nIk,kOpm] 'to nod', _se nickkoppt_ 'she/they nod(s)', 'she is
nodding', 'they are nodding', _wie nickkoppen_ 'we nodded' (in some dialects
also 'we nod', 'we are nodding'), _se hett nickkoppt_ 'she has nodded', 'she
nodded', _nickkopp!_ 'nod!'

The above also occur umlauted; e.g, _schüddköppen_ ['Syt,hœpm], _nickköppen_
['nIk,kœpm].

These constructions seem rather peculiar to me, literally something like "to
shake-head", "I shake-headed", "we have nod-headed", etc.  I can only think of
compounds featuring the noun 'head'.  Can anyone think of other nouns being
used this way?

Type 2:  [verb]+[noun] > *[verb] > [past participle] = [adjective/adverb]
This type starts off like Type 1, but the resulting verb is not used
(appearing here reconstructed or hypothetically, flagged by *), survives only
as past participle derivation (/[stem]+d) which is used adjectivally (rarely)
or adverbially (mostly); e.g.,

/duuk-/ 'duck' + /nak/ '(back of the) neck' > */duuknak-/ > /duuknak-d/
_duuknackt_ ['du:k,nakt] ("duck-necked") 'with one's head ducked', 'with one's
head hanging low'
_Se seet daar duuknackt un sweeg'_ 'She was sitting there with her head
hanging low and was saying nothing'

/spil-/ 'spill', 'lose', 'waste', 'get spilled', 'get lost', 'get wasted' +
/bein/ 'leg' > */spilbein-/ > /spilbein-d/ _spillbeend_ ~ _spillbeent_
['spIl,bEInt] 'thin-legged', 'skinny-legged'
Note 1: _spillig_ ~ _spillerig_ 'skinny', 'scrawny'
Note 2: The original noun may or may not be the object, considering that the
verb can be transitive or intransitive.

Thanks for thinking about all this.

Best regards,

Reinhard/Ron

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