LL-L: "Etymology" LOWLANDS-L, 13.MAR.2001 (03) [E]
Lowlands-L
sassisch at yahoo.com
Wed Mar 14 02:37:44 UTC 2001
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L O W L A N D S - L * 13.MAR.2001 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic, Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Etymology
Christian, Lowlanders,
Below is my input to the list of Central Pomeranian Low Saxon (Low German)
words, on the basis of North Saxon (NS) dialects and dialects of
Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania (M-WP). (Main sources: Lindow and
Herrmann-Winter)
I strongly suggest checking not only Low Franconian varieties (Dutch and
Limburgish) but also the above-mentioned Saxon varieties so as to isolate
whichever words are not found farther west within the Saxon group.
Furthermore, I suggest checking in Mennonite Low Saxon (Plautdietsch),
since it is the only vital and well-documented survivor among the West
Prussian Saxon group and thus is, geographically speaking, to the east of
the dialects you are studying. Last but not least, as with all Low Saxon
(and German) dialects of the area east of Hamburg, Lunenburg
(Lüünborg/Lüneburg), Hanover (Hannover) and Brunswick
(Bruunswig/Braunschweig), you ought to check West Slavic sources
(especially Cassubian/Kashubian, which by many is considered Eastern
Pomeranian and thus the only surviving branch of Pomeranian), since those
Saxon-based dialects have more or less obvious Pomeranian (= Slavic)
substrates.
> * benk subst. (= bank subst.f. "Sitzbank" ?, or a collective form as
> *(ge)bänk
> ?): Liggt wat unnet Bänk, hett'n langen Schwanz. (= axe)
M-WP _Bänk_ (pl. _Bänk(en)_) ~ _Bank_ 'bench' (cf. NS _Bank_ > pl. _Bänk_),
thus umlauting in the singular in many or most M-WP dialects.
> * blensch subst.f?. "silly girl (abfällig zu [schwatzhaftem ?]
Mädchen)
Partly Slavic-derived? Cf. Polish _bl{a,}d_ [blOnt] 'error',
_bl{a,}ndzi{c'}_ 'to be lost', _zabl{a,}ndzi{c'}_ 'to get lost', 'to go
astray', _bl{a,}ndny_ 'erroneous'; Lower Sorbian _b(l/}udny_ 'erroneous',
_b{l/}u{z'}i{s'}_ 'to err', _b{l/}ud(nik)_ 'will-o'-the-wisp'. This could
have the feminine derivative suffix _-sch(e)_.
(Polish _{a,}_ is one of two nasals solely preserved in Polish (and
Kashubian?). Before dentals it is pronounced with an [n]: [On].)
> * bollen subst.pl. "onions (Zwiebeln)"
Apparently found in several Eastern Low Saxon and German dialects; < Slavic
(cf. Polish _cebula_ [tsE'bula] 'onion'), perhaps reinforced by M-WP _Boll_
'spherical/bulbous object'.
> * brabbler subst.m. "fool (Schwätzer ?)" - from a verb brabbeln, but
> where
> does it come from ?
NS & M-WP _brabbeln_ 'to babble' > _Brabbler_ 'babbler', 'talkative
person'. Origin probably onomatopoetic.
> * bullerjaan m. "someone very agile (der immer gleich drauflosgeht,
> Topfgucker)"
NS & M-WP _bullern_ 'to make a loud, thunderous noise' (onomatopoetic or <
_Bull_ 'bull'?) > NS _Bullerballer_ 'noisy person', 'person who tends to
fly off the handle', _Bullerjan_ ~ _Bullerjaan_ ~ _Bullerjahn_ id. (+ _Jan_
'John'?) id. (_Bullerjaan_ also tends to denote 'valerian', specifically
valerian tea (< _Baldrian_), while the plant itself tends to be called
_Kattenkruut_ "cats weed".)
> * doemelsack m. "stupid guy (Dummer)" (~ German dämlich "stupid" <
> dam-+-lich
> "lady-like" ?)
M-WP _Dömel_ ['d{oe}:m=l] 'stupor', 'stupid person', _döömlich_ 'stupid',
_Dömelack_ ~ _Dömelach_ 'stupid person_', _Dömelsack_ id., _Dömelkla(a)s_
(< _Klaas_ 'Nicolas') id., many of which have NS equivalents mostly with
_dääm..._, _dööm..._ in some dialects; also Hamburg Missingsch _Dämlack_
'stupid/blundering person'. This word group is Low Saxon and "Middle
German" (i.e., border varieties) > German _dämlich_ 'stupid'. Cf. Middle
Low Saxon _dämelen_ 'to be in a stupor', 'to be confused', also Bavarian
_damisch_ id.; probably related to Latin _TÊMulentus_ 'inebriated', Middle
Irish _tâm_ 'illness', 'death', Russian _tomit'_ 'to trouble'
(_Herkunftsduden_).
Note that in Low Saxon there are numerous instances of variation between
unrounded and rounded mid-level vowels: (/aa/ >) /ee/ ~ /öö/.
> * doetz subst.m "head (Kopf)"
NS & M-WP & Missingsch _Döötz_ ~ _Deetz_ 'head' (< W. Slav.?)
> * fahr subst.f. "furrow (Furche)"
NS & M-WP _Föör_ [fø:3] ~ _Fuur_ [fu:3] ~ _Faar_ ~ _Fahr_ ~ _Foor_ ~ _Fohr_
'fQ:3] 'furrow' (< Indo-European *_per(e)k-_ 'to burrow', 'to force open')
> * fastelabend subst.m. "carnival (Fasching)" (= low saxon ?)
NS _Fastelavend_ ~ _Fasselavend_ etc. id. (< _fasten_ 'to fast' + _Avend_
'evening'?; cf. German _Fastnacht_ id.)
> * flaps, floez "someone naughty (Unanständiger)"
NS & M-WP _Flöö(t)z_ [flø:ts] ~ _Flaps_ 'male who behaves socially
inappropriately'; M-WP also 'cap'.
> * glau adj. "wel-fed (schön, glatt vom Hund)"
NS & M-WP _glau_ 'shiny', 'bright', 'pretty', 'clever', 'kind',
'flattering'
> * gluugeroogen, glupschoogen subst. "large eyes (große Augen)"
NS & M-WP _Gluup(sch)oog'_ 'protruding eye', 'staring eye', 'wide eye',
'bug eye' < _glupen_ 'to stare' + _oog'_ 'eye', > _gluupsch_ 'staring',
'eying (secretly)'
> * gnoergel, Gnoergler m. "someone discontent (Meckerer)"
Cf. German _nörgeln_ 'to criticize (unfairly)'
> * gnurren v. "to speak murmuring (murmeln, nuscheln)"
NS & M-WP _gnurren_ ~ _gnarren_ 'to growl', 'to snarl' (cf. German
_knurren_)
> * godschün subst.f. "church (Dorfkirche)"
Probably _Gottschüün_ < _Gott_ 'God' + _Schüün_ 'barn'?
> * grummeln v. "to talk angrily (ärgerlich, mürrisch sein)
NS & M-WP _grummeln_ 'to rumble', 'to talk with a low voice'
> * hekelt "Hechelwerkzeug zum Durchkämmen der Wolle mit nach oben
> stehenden
> Spitzen"
NS & M-WP _hekeln_ ['he:k=ln] 'to hatchel', 'to heckle', 'to comb' (flax,
wool, etc.)
> * hoopen, hümpel m. "heap (Haufen)"
NS & M-WP _Hopen_ ['hoUp=m] ~ _Hoop_ [hoUp] '(small) heap', _Hümpel_
['hYmp=l] 'heap' (cf. English 'hump')
> * knoebel subst. "thick fingers (dicke Finger)"
NS _Knövel_ ['knø:v=l] ~ _Knevel_ ['kne:v=l] 'knuckle', 'little big man',
'strong child'; cf. _Knööv_ ~ _Knööf_ [knø:f] 'strength', 'stamina'; cf.
Finkenwerder dialect _Knöbel_ 'something large', 'large piece'
M-WP _Knövel_ 'knuckle', 'finger' > _Knövel(n)_ 'hand', _knöveln_ 'to milk
with ones knuckles (as opposed to strip-milking)'
> * koeken subst.f. ''Küche'' (not koek !)
NS & M-WP _Köök_ [k`ø:k] 'kitchen' (pl. _Köken_); in some NS dialects
singular _Köken_ ['k`ø:k=N] (pl. _Kökens_); cf. English 'kitchEN'.
> * koest subst.f. "feast" (austköst "Erntefeier", bruutköst "Tanzabend,
> urspr.
> Polterabend")
NS & M-WP _Köst [k`{oe}s(t)] 'party at which food and drinks are served',
often specifically 'wedding reception' or just 'wedding'; > _Köstenbidder_
'person who invites people to a party or wedding', _kösten_ 'to give guests
food and drink', 'to participate in a party or wedding' (cf. German > Low
Saxon _Kost_ 'food', 'fare', 'diet'; related to German _kosten_ and Low
Saxon _kösten_ 'to cost' < Old French _coster_ (> _coûter_) < Vulgar Latin
_costâre_ < _côn-stare_ 'to stand firm', 'to be fixed', but also < Old
Saxon _kostôn_ (cf. Old English _costian_) 'to try (food)'; cf. Latin
_gustâre_ 'to enjoy (food)'.
> * kran subst.m. "crane (Kranich)"
NS & M-WP _Kraan_ 'crane'
> * lueften v. "to bear (schleppen, schwer tragen)"
M-WP _lüften_ 'to lift' (cf. English 'lift')
> * luuern v. "to wait for sth. (warten)"
NS & M-WP _luren_ ~ _luern_ ~ _luurn_ 'to lie in ambush' (cf. German
_lauern_), 'to wait'
> * murchel m. "someone dirty (Drechfink)"
(i.e., Dreckfink)
M-WP _Murkel_ 'small (pitiful-looking) child', _murkelig_ 'small and
pitiful'
> * poomuffel m. "one, who's angry (Mürrischer)", but also "unhandy
chunk
> of
> wood (Holzklotz, der ungeeignet zum Stapeln ist)"
M-WP _Pomuchel_ 'cod(fish)' < West Slavic; cf. Upper Sorbian _pomuchla_
'cod'; > NS & M-WP _Pomuchelskopp_ 'cod head' > 'big-headed, i.e.,
boasting, person', 'thick-headed person', 'stubborn person', probably fused
with _Muffel_ 'surly person' and _muffelig_ 'surly' < _muffeln_ 'to
mumble', 'to grumble' < 'to chew for a long time without swallowing'
> * pracher m. "Prahlhans"
NS _Pracher_ 'beggar' < NS & M-WP _prachern_ 'to beg for a living'; perhaps
"contaminated" by German _Pracht_ 'splendor' < Middle High German _braht_
'loud noise', 'self-promotion', cf. Old Saxon _brakôn_ 'to make a cracking
noise'. Low Saxon _Pracher_ 'beggar' < 'noise-maker', 'self-promoter'?
> * roetel hemm v. "to be longing for sth. (auf etwas sehnlich warten)"
M-WP _röteln_ ~ _rötern_, NS _rötern_, 'to rattle', 'to babble', 'to talk a
lot', M-WP also 'to be impatient', 'to have a hard time waiting', 'to be
very keen on something'
> * schloek subst. m. "throat (Kehle, Gurgel)"
NS & M-WP _Slöök_ [slø:k] ~ _Schlöök_ [Slø:k] 'throat', 'gullet'
> * schluusoor m. "someone oblivious (der leicht vergißt)"
NS & M-WP _Sluusohr_ ['slu:s?oU3] ~ _Schluusohr_ ['Slu:s?oU3] etc. 'sly
person' > _sluusohrig_ ~ _schluusohrig_ 'sly', 'cunning' (cf. German
_Schlitzohr_ "slit-ear", i.e., 'sly/cunning person')
> * tacken subst.pl. "twigs (abgebrochene Astansätze an Holzstücken,
bes.
> als
> Quell für Verletzungen)"
NS & M-WP _Tack(en)_ (pl. _Tacken_) 'branch', 'point(ed object)' > _Tacken_
'lace'
> * toeben v. "to wait (warten)"
NS & M-WP _töven_ ['t`{oe}Iv=m] ~ _töben_ ['t`{oe}Ib=m] ~ _teuben_ ~
_täuben_ ['t`OIb=m] 'to wait'
> * truenneln v. "roll down (runterrollen, von einem Faß auf einem Berg
> gesagt)", truennel pl. "round chunks of wood (dicke, runde
> Holzstücken)"
NS & M-WP _Tründel_ ~ _Trünnel_ 'roller' > _tründeln_ ~ _trünneln_ 'to roll
(down)'
> * twallen v. "to do something silly (unvernünftig handeln)", twall
> subst.f.
> "stupid, silly girl (dummes Mädchen)"
M-WP _twallig_ 'silly'
NS _dwallen_ 'to play', 'to fool around', 'to behave in a silly way',
_dwallern_ 'to talk nonsense', _dwallerig_ 'silly', 'clumsy',
_dwallerwatsch_ 'weird', 'crazy'
> * -wehdoach "pain, ache" (krüzwehdoach, koppwehdoch "Rückenschmerzen,
> Kopfschmerz")
NS _Wehdaag_ ['vE.IdQ:x] (pl. _Wehdaag'_ ['vE.IdQ:.G]) 'pain', 'ache' <
_weh_ 'painful', 'aching' + _doon_ 'to do', p. part. _daan_?
> * (uem)wricken v. "to break one's foot (sich einen Fuß durch Umknicken
> brechen)"
I suspect it means 'to sprain one's foot/ankle' rather than 'to break one's
foot'.
NS _wricken_ ~ _wriggen_ 'to turn', 'to twist', _verwricken_ 'to sprain'
M-WP _ümwricken_ 'to (twist and) sprain'
I hope this helped.
Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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