LL-L "Etymology" 2001.11.24 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 24.NOV.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 Rules: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/rules.html>
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Server Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
=======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

From: Ole Stig Andersen <osa at olestig.dk>
Subject: Etymology

In Danish "bie" (possibly also written "bide") means "wait". It is not
an
active word any more. I remember it from my Jutish childhood as an old
word
found in poems and hymns. It has a distinctively Jutish and archaic and
rural feel.

Ole Stig Andersen
http://www.olestig.dk

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Ole Stig wrote:

> In Danish "bie" (possibly also written "bide") means "wait". It is not an
> active word any more. I remember it from my Jutish childhood as an old > word
> found in poems and hymns. It has a distinctively Jutish and archaic and
> rural feel.

In Icelandic, _bíða_ is still the usual word for 'to wait' (Faroese
*_biða_?).

As someone already mentioned, Old High German has _bîtan_.  It also has
_enbîtan_.  I believe the former is intransitive ('to wait', Modern
German _warten_), and the latter is transitive ('to await', to expect',
Modern German _erwarten_), as in the famous medieval love song:

Chume, chum, geselle mîn,
ih enbîte harte dîn,
ih enbîte harte dîn,
chume, chum, geselle mîn.

Come, come, my consort!
I await you eagerly.
I await you eagerly.
Come, come, my consort!

Old Saxon has _bîdan_ (or is it *_bîðan_?).  However, I am not aware of
it having survived in Modern Low Saxon (Low German) dialects.  I would
expect *_bieden_ or *_bien_.  Does anyone know of such a form in the
modern dialects?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

==================================END===================================
 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>.
=======================================================================
 * Please submit postings to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Postings 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
=======================================================================