LL-L "Etymology" 2002.04.24 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 24.APR.2002 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian 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

Dear Lowlanders,

I was entertained to come across the Scots word _geck_ today: 'gesture
of derision', 'gibe', 'trick', 'scornful or disdainful manner',
'flirtatious movement of the head', 'to mock', 'to deride', 'to scoff',
'to fool', 'to cheat', etc.

I immediately recognized it as a Low Saxon (Low German) loanword, and I
believe it is a loan that does not exist in Standard English (but may
well be used in the standard range of Scottish English).  According to
the _Chambers Concise Scots Dictionary_, it can be traced back to the
16th century, and they verify that it is a "Low German" loan that also
exists in Dutch.

In Low Saxon, _Geck_ basically means 'fool' or 'prankster', and _gecken_
basically means 'to fool around', 'to play pranks', 'to jest'.
According to the _Herkunftsduden_, these can be traced back to the 14th
century, at around which time it also started making its way into Low
Franconian (hence e.g. Dutch _gek_) and later into German (_Geck_, also
_Jeck_ in Rhenish varieties).

It also came to be adopted into Scandinavian, e.g., Danish _gæk_.

According to the _Herkunftsduden_, the word is originally onomatopoetic,
apparently imitating the "ga-ga" sounds of a mentally handicapped
person, thus related to _Gagg_, _Gaggel_ and _Gagger_ in Alemannic and
other South German varieties.  I am wondering if this is related to
English _gawk_ 'to stare stupidly' that originally referred to
awkwardness, clumsiness or ungainliness, which is still clearly
preserved in Scots _gawk_ 'awkward, clumsy person', 'fool', 'to play the
fool', 'to behave foolishly', 'to flirt', 'to wander aimlessly', 'to
idle', 'to stare idly or vacantly'.  If so, this would probably mean
that Scots has a native and a borrowed form with apparently overlapping
semantic ranges.

Input, anyone?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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