LL-L "Expressions" 2002.05.13 (05) [E/S]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 13.MAY.2002 (05) * 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: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Expressions"

> From: "" <johnno55 at excite.com>
> Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2002.05.12 (01) [D/E/LS]
>
> Hello all
>
> The use of the word Donder in Afrikaans can be used as a swearword but
> has extended its meaning to include the concept a beating or assault.
> In this usuage it is always pronounced "donner".
>
> ek sal jou donder - I will beat you up
>
> ek sal jou goed opdonder - I will beat you up thoroughly.
>
> I wonder if any of the other lawlands languages have the same usuages.

In Scots, "dunner" is usually a verb, meaning to beat on
something, making a noise like thunder. You might talk
about the wind "dunnerin aboot the hoose" or somebody
"dunnerin on the door", if enough noise is being made.
Or an example from William Tennant's "Papistry Stormed"
describing an armoured knight falling from his horse:

The monie-archit pends a’ round
Wi clang an bang did ring an sound,
As doun he dunner’d on the ground;

In Scots there's also the idea of a stupid person having
been "dunnert", ie "thundered" leading to the adjective
"donnert", meaning "stupid" or "daft". There's also the
word "dunderheid" meaning a stupid person.

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'

----------

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

Sandy,

I strongly suspect this Scots _dunner_ ~ _donner_ to be a Dutch
(Flemish, or Low Saxon) loan.  If it were a cognate of _thunder_ it
ought to be *_thunner_, and this is what dictionaries give as Scots for
'thunder'.  Dutch and Low Saxon went through the shift /T/ > /d/, hence
_thunder_ ~ _thonder_ > _donder_ ~ _donner_ ~ _dunner_.  I don't know
about the semantic range of Dutch _donder_, but I can tell you that Low
Saxon (Low German) _dunner_ ~ _donner_ also has the meaning 'to make a
loud noise', exactly like Scots _dunner_ (besides the original meaning
'to thunder').

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
=======================================================================