LL-L "Names" 2003.01.09 (05) [E/Germany]

[Lowlands-L]

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From: JRodenburg at aol.com <JRodenburg at aol.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology"

Thanks to all who helped me with the word "knust." I'll have to find a
bigger dictionary. I liked the commentary on "jökeln." My all time favorite
word, which thankfully was in Bob Stockman's book, is "snickelfritz." Please
use this word and similar ones (like nixnutz, from my father-in-law from
Berlin) with your children and grandchildren. It's an easy and fun way to
preserve some small part of Platt.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen aus Illinois
John Rodenburg

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

John,

I don't have Bob's book within easy reach this week and am wondering what
the meaning of this _Snickelfritz_ is.  I don't use it and don't know it.

_Nixnutz_ 'ne'er-do-well', 'useless person', is German, not Lowlands Saxon
("Low German"), probably Berlin Missingsch (German on LS substrate), though
now widely used (besides the Standard German version _Nichtsnutz_).  Since
LS did not participate in the shifts /t/ > /ts/ and /t/ > /s/, the word
would be *_Nixnutt_ if it existed (German _nutzen_ ~ _nützen_ = LS _nutten_
~ _nütten_ 'to use', also G _Wasser_ = LS _Water_ 'water').

I assume that the _...fritz_ part in _Stickelfritz_ is the German men's name
_Fritz_ 'Fred', derived from _Friedrich_, corresponding to LS _Frederik_,
_Fredrick_, etc., sometimes abbreviated to _Freed_, _Fred_, _Fredi_ or
_Freddi_.  However, for quite a while now, certainly these days, LS first
names are getting lost, because LS speakers in Germany usually had to have
their names registered "properly," i.e., in "High" German.  They would use
the LS forms, certainly their familiar short versions, when speaking LS, but
even that is getting lost now.  For instance, Hendrik ~ Henrik became
officially German Heinrich, and LS speakers then derived Hein and Heini from
it, while Hendrik ~ Henrik pretty much got lost in the shuffle (unlike in
the Netherlands).   At the same time, some LS names have been rediscovered
and  elevated to fashionable status.  An example is Katrin or Kathrin,
albeit "mis"-pronounced with primary stress on the first syllable
(['katri.n] ) rather than on the last syllable ([ka'tri:n]), while the
German equivalent Katharina ~ Catharina ~ Katharine, etc., is considered
old-fashioned by most.

But this looks like another thread ("Names") in the making ...

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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