LL-L "Etymology" 2003.02.28 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 28.FEB.2003 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Folks,

Ever since I brought up "Annie Laurie" a couple of days ago I can't get the
tune out of my head!  It's haunting me!  Anyway, while singing it "in my
head" during my commute last night the phrase "A'd lay me doon an dee" ("I'd
lay me down and die") started me thinking about a possible etymological link
with _doon_ (also written _doun_) and the English cognate _down_ with
Lowlands Saxon (Low German) _duun_ (NL _doen_) [du:n] 'drunk'.  I know it
seems like a stretch, but think of it: "He is down" = "He is drunk" doesn't
really sound that far off, does it?

Phonologically it works very well.  We know that Scots and Lowlands Saxon
are very conservative in that they preserve the old /uu/ <û>, where English
developed /au/ <ou> ~ <ow>, Dutch developed /ʌʏ/ <ui>, Afrikaans developed
/əɪ/ <ui>, and German developed /au/ <au>; e.g.,  S _hoose_ (_house_), LS
_Huus_ (_hoes_), E _house_, D/A _huis_, G _Haus_; S _lood_ (_loud_), LS
_luud_ (_loed_), E _loud_, D/A _luid_, G _laut_; S _toon_ (_toun_), LS
_Tuun_ (_toen_), E _town_, D/A _tuin_, G _Zaun_; S _oot_ (_out_), LS _uut_
(_ut_, _oet_), E _out_, D/A _uit_, G _aus_; S _doon_ (_doun_), LS _Duun_
(_doen_), E _down_ (feathers), (Dutch _dons_), G _Daun_.

Apparently, Scots _doon_ ~ _doun_ and English _down_ come from Old English
_dûne_ which started off as _adûne_ = "off/down-dune" (_dûn_ 'dune'), thus
something like "downhill".

What do you think of the possibility of S _doon_ ~ _doun_, E _down_ and LS
_duun_ ~ _doen_ being related?

Thanks in advance.
Reinhard/Ron

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