LL-L "Etymology" 2002.05.12 (03) [E/LS]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 12.MAY.2002 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
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From: niels winther [niels.winther at dfdsseaways.com]
Subject: Lexicon

Luc wrote:
>> "kraakebaezn" (litterally cracking berries,
>> blue wild berries that can be found in
>> forests, named thus because of the sound
>> they make when you eat them ?)

Ron wrote:
> I wonder which berry that is.

Probably the bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).

niels

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From: : "Friedrich-Wilhelm.Neumann"
<Friedrich-Wilhelm.Neumann at epost.de>
Subject: Lexicon

Moin, Ron, LL,

geev't bi Jau fröher ouk de "Schallens", flachet Woter över de Wischen,
door, wo Ji winterdoogs "sköfeln" (ostfr. hauchdütsch Schlittschuh
laufen,
engl.: skating) kunnen? Heff ick vöörn Stücker wat Doog mool ünnersöcht,
und
heff dat ingelte Woord "shallows" funnen- pass heel genau op Schallen.
Besten Obend
Fiete.

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

Niels Winther:

> Probably the bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).

Ah, thanks, Niels!  I don't know why I didn't think of it but came up
with more "exotic" types.

That would be _blauwe bosber_ ("blue forest berry") in Dutch.  Sure, it
makes a nice little "explosion" when you bite it, provided it is fresh
and not overripe (and not over-cultivated).

There seems to be a bit of confusion about this berry.  "Bilberry" is
the same as "blueberry," isn't it?  (Or is the former the wild type and
the latter the cultivated type?)  There are also two names in German:
_Heidelbeere_ and _Blaubeere_, also in Low Saxon (Low German):
_Bickbeer_ and _Kraansbeer_ ~ _Kroonsbeer_.  In our Missingsch-type
German we say _Bickbeere_ (and many other native plants have
Low-Saxon-based names).  What's this _Bick..._?

What's confusing here is that _Kraansbeer_ ~ _Kroonsbeer_ can also
denote 'cranberry'!  I guess the difference is dialectal.  _Cranberries_
(also rather "explosive" when fresh) are also of the genus _Vaccinium_
(_Vaccinium vitis idaea_?, German _Preiselbeere_ ~ _Preißelbeere_?).
According to the Oxford dictionary, English _cranberry_ is derived from
(supposedly Middle) "Low German" _krane-bere_ ("crane berry").

The Oxford dictionary refers to Danish _böllebær_ (sic. = _bøllebær_?)
under "bilberry."  However, I can't find that name in Modern Danish,
only _blåbær_ ("blueberry," and _tyttebær_ for 'cranberry', whatever
_tytte_ may mean).  So I assume *_bøllebær_ is archaic or non-standard.

For those of you who don't understand his language, above Fiete
(Friedrich-Wilhelm Neumann) refers to the Low Saxon (Low German) word
_Schallen_, and he tentatively connects it with English "shallows".
_Schallen_ denotes land that is perdiodically flooded (by fresh water
[thus a good place for growing _Kraansbeern_, I suppose]), a piece of
land that is overgrown by reeds or rushes, thus what might be called
short and sweet 'wetland'.  Any theory on that, anyone?

Please also note the Low Saxon word _Schallkatt_ ("Schall cat"?) for
'dung-beetle'.  Might there be any connection?

Oh, yes, and then there's the largely unexplored world of Lowlandic
zoological names ...  Take another type of bug, the ladybug (~
ladybird), for instance.  In Dutch it is _lieveheersbeestje_ ("Dear
Lord's critter"), and in Low Saxon it has similar fancy names, such as
_Heergottskoh_ ~ _Herrgottskoh_ ("The Lord's cow"), _Sünnenkind_ ("sun
child"), _Sünnenküken_ ("sun chick"), _Maanküken_ ("moon chick") and
_Maankalf_ ("moon calf")!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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