LL-L "Etymology" 2002.07.23 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 23.JUL.2002 (07) * 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: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Etymology"

John le Grange wrote:

> The use of the word punnet is common in South Africa too where its
> meaning is a small container of berries or vegetables. Perhaps it is a
> word
> mainly used in English in the Southern Hemisphere :).

Joseph Wright's English Dialects dictionary lists several
counties in England where the word "punnet" is used with
this meaning (in some counties it means the "punt" of a
wine bottle), while the Scottish National Dictionary doesn't
list it at all.

The fact that it's an English word doesn't mean it's not a
Scots word too, although the fact that it's used in English
with exactly the same meaning is enough to explain why the
SND doesn't list it.

Colin Wilson wrote:

> Has anyone heard "punct" used in other regions of Scotland?

I haven't, and in fact the CSD does put it as early
17th century at the latest.

Of course, it's an interesting question whether this
invalidates it as a modern Scots word, considering
that it's the sort of thing that's taught in schools,
in English. It's not that it's fallen out of use -
it's been forced out of use. A similar thing could be
said of the old letter-pronunciation system in Scots:
ai, bay, cay, day, &c - these were doomed because the
only place people learn them is at school.

The question arises whether if Scots is ever restored
to schools, should these terms be restored as well? I
don't generally approve of trying to restore words that
are no longer used (because it makes the language seem
unnatural), but in cases like this there may be a
definite place for it.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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