LL-L: "Historical phonology" LOWLANDS-L, 02.MAY.2000 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 02.MAY.2000 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: 3181SAFF [3181SAFF at london-oratory.org]
Subject:  [Fwd: (no subject)]

Dear All,

In my experience during learning Dutch I've noticed on a number of occasions
that there seems to be a k to sh "transition" perhaps via Norse from Dutch
kopen into shop (vb) (strictly to buy); and kort into short. I know that when
the Norsemen and the Danes controlled much of Northern and Eastern England,
place names with ch and sh became k and sk respectively. Could there be some
similar explanation?

I've researched both words and I think my suspicions may have some base:

To buy:
kupiti [Czech] kauffen [Ger], oankeapje [Fri], kopen [Du], købe [Dan], köpa
[Swe], kjøpe [Nor] goes to Shop in English (?)

Short:
krátký [czech] kurtz [Ger], koart [Fri], kort [Du, Dan, Swe, Nor] goes to
short in English.... (note: Kurta in Esperanto)

Any ideas?

Andrew Saffrey

PS Strictly kopen is to buy, but nevertheless there is some sort of
similarlity

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

Andrew wrote above:

> To buy:
> kupiti [Czech] kauffen [Ger], oankeapje [Fri], kopen [Du], købe [Dan], > köpa [Swe], kjøpe [Nor] goes to Shop in English (?)

Correction: German _kaufen_
Addition: Low Saxon/Low German _köpen_

> Short:
> krátký [czech] kurtz [Ger], koart [Fri], kort [Du, Dan, Swe, Nor] goes to > short in English.... (note: Kurta in Esperanto)

Correction: German _kurz_
Addition: Low Saxon/Low German _kort_ ~ _kott_, Westerlauwers Frisian _koart_

Are you suggesting that Old English _sceoppa_ (> _shop_) is derived from the
word for 'to buy', i.e., contains the elusive _s-_ prefix?  Interesting!

By the way, I don't understand the relevance of mentioning Esperanto in this
context, given that it is an entirely (Eurocentrically based) artificial
language.

Regards,

Reinhard/Ron

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