LL-L "Measure words" 2002.12.04 (07) [D/E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 04.DEC.2002 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Coinage" 2002.12.03 (11) [D/E/S]

Dear Andy et al.,

the "Pleitegeier" refers to the German federal emblem, the eagle (as in
"Andy Eagle"...), which is also found on the back of one and two Euro coins.
It is also found on all kinds of official documents, including the seals
which the bailiff places on items that are officially seized for not being
able to pay one's bills. In this function, it is also called the "Kuckuck"
(cuckoo).

As for the fulfilment of ECB policies... let's change the subject, shall we?
:-P

Gabriele Kahn

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From: pieter meester <pieter.meester at hetnet.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Coinage" 2002.12.03 (01) [D]

ga ik doen, kwintje
Wat ik me realiseer is dat met het verdwijnen van het kwartje de laatste
niet-metrieke, niet-decimale maat- en getalsbenaming uit de Nederlandse
cultuurkring verdwijnt. Sinds Napoleon hebben we (officieel) al geen halve
en kwart voeten of duimen meer. Maten die gebaseerd zijn op het menselijk
lichaam en die je zonder meetgereedschap kunt gebruiken. Onze Engelse
vrienden zijn de laatsten, denk ik, met hun kwart tot 132ste inches. In de
USA hebben ze de inch/duim al decimaal verdeeld.
Pieter Meester

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From: R. F. Hahn <admin at lowlands-l.net>
Subject: Measure words

My father, who spoke mostly Lowlands Saxon (Low German) and Missingsch
(LS-based German), used to use a naming system for coinage that seemed to be
on its way out when I was a child and seemed to have hung on in his circle
of shipbuilding workers and longshoremen.  The system seems to be rooted in
a superceded (pre-Mark), probably non-decimal monetary system. The following
is all I can remember, besides the still used  _Mark_ [ma:k], _Groschen_
[['grOSn=] '10 Pfennigs', and German _Pfennig_ / LS _Penn_ [pE.n] ~ _Pennig_
['pEnIC] ~ _Penning_ ['pEnINk] 'Pfennig':

_Sechser_ ['zEks3`] ("sixer") '5 Pfennigs' (!)
_Daler_ ['dQ:l3`] (German _Taler_) ("dollar") '3 Marks'
_Heiermann_ ['ha.I3`ma.n] '5 Marks'
_Pund_ [pU.nt] (German _Pfund_) ("pound") '20 Marks'

Does anyone know more about this?

Rumor has it that _Heiermann_ comes from Hamburg LS _Heuer_ ['hO.I3`],
common LS _Höör_ [hœ.I3`] ~ _Hüür_ [hy:3`] (cognate of English 'hire'),
denoting a sailor's wages.  A contradictory rumor has it that it comes from
old merchant jargon (Rothwelsh?) _hei_ (or _heh_) for 'five', thus
Yiddish-based, referring to the Hebrew letter _hey_ "h" which also stands
for "5".  Neither rumor or theory explains the _...mann_ ("man") part.

Thanks in anticipation.

Reinhard/Ron

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