LL-L "Etymology" 2002.05.19 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 19.MAY.2002 (05) * 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

It is too bad that most etymological dictionaries do not list compounds
such as *_over-set_, e.g., German _übersetzen_, Low Saxon (Low German)
_översetten_, W. Frisian _oersette_, Danish _oversætte_ and Swedish
_översätta_ 'to translate'.  I had always assumed that Scandinavian
borrowed the verb from Low Saxon, but because of its use (_owerset_) in
Scots I am no longer so "sure."

The Chambers Dictionary does not seem to list the gloss 'to translate'
for Scots _owerset_, but the _Concise English-Scots Dictionary_ does
give _owerset_ for 'to translate'.  Scots _owerset_ also has the
meanings 'to overturn', 'to upset', 'to set up in excess', as does
(rare?) English _overset_.

Does Scots _owerset_ in the sense of 'to translate' belong to a
relatively old layer in Common Germanic, with a semantic value that
English has lost, or has Scots rather acquired this semantic value under
foreign influence?  In other words, is _owerset_ a calque (i.e., loan
translation) that came to coincide with an already existing word?  If
so, from which language did this meaning come?  North Germanic would be
one's first guess, given the history of Viking invasions and settlements
in Scotland.  But are Scandinavian _oversætte_, _översätta_, etc.,
really that old?  Low Saxon would in my opinion be the second candidate,
given its international reach through trading until the 17th century.

Modern Icelandic renders 'to translate (from one language to another)'
as _þýða_ ("thy'dha" for those of you who cannot read the "special"
characters), which is related to Low Saxon (/düüd-/) _düden_, Dutch
_duiden_, German _deuten_, Danish _tyde_, Swedish _tyda_, etc., 'to
point to', 'to interpret (e.g. a sign)', 'to decipher', older 'to
explain'.  (> German _bedeuten_, Low Saxon _bedüden_, Dutch _beduiden_,
Danish _betyde_, Swedish _betyda_, etc., 'to signify', 'to denote', 'to
mean', etc.)

If the *_over+set_ compound where native in North Germanic, I would
expect Icelandic to have *_yfirsetja_.  Does this exist in Old Norse?
It may, considering that Modern Icelandic has _yfirsetukona_ ("over-set
woman") 'midwife' ("woman who puts a baby "over"?).  But there seems to
be no such connection with translation.

Do any of you have an explanation?

Also, I am rather intrigued by the Scots verb _redd_ ~ _rede_ [rid].
Among its meanings are 'to explain' and 'to interpret (from one spoken
language into another)'.  I immediately thought of Low Saxon and German
_reden_ 'to talk', but the Chambers points to _read_, which means 'to
interpret (dreams, riddles, etc.)', 'to foretell (the future)', etc., so
there appears to be a connection with _read_ 'to read'.  But wait!
There's more!  Of course they are related too!  Old English _ræædan_,
Old Saxon _râdan_, Old German _ratan_ and Old Norse _ráþa_ ("ra'tha")
mean 'to advise', 'to consider', 'to discern' (> Low Saxon _Raad_ etc.
'advice', 'council').

But Scots has another _redd_ ~ _rede_ [rid] with many meanings, such as
'to clear' and 'to free'.  The Chambers makes the same connection that
came to my mind right away: Middle Dutch and Middle Low Saxon _reden_
and Old English _ræædan_ 'to arrange', to put in order' < Germanic
*_raidh-_.  This appears to be what is found in German _bereiten_ 'to
prepare' and _bereit_ 'prepared', 'ready'.  Also, it is related to
'ready' (= "prepared") < Middle English _rædi(g)_ ~ _re(a)di_ < Old
English _rææde_, Old German _reiti_, Old Norse _reithr_.  Modern Low
Saxon still has _redi(g)_ ['re:dI(C)] ~ _redid(g)_ ['rEdI(C)] 'ready',
'prepared', 'tidy', 'convenient', 'easy', 'efficient', which in some
dialects can also be used in the sense of 'truly', 'really', 'very' (cf.
English "readily" as in "readily available").

Please pardon my etymological rambling.

Further input would be appreciated.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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