LL-L "Lexicon" 2003.01.13 (10) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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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: Holger Weigelt <platt at holger-weigelt.de>
Subject:  "Lexicon"

> From: burgdal32admin <burgdal32 at pandora.be>
> Subject:  LL-L "Names" 2003.01.09 (05) [E/Germany]
>
> > From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> > Subject: Etymology
> >
> > John,
.....> > _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').
> >
> Dear Ron,
> In Dutch and Flemish we use the word "nietsnut" quiet often.
>
> Groetjes
> Luc Vanbrabant
> Oekene
>
> ----------
>
> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Lexicon
.....
> Interesting! I looked through various Lowlands Saxon (Low German)
> dictionaries and found no mention of this theoretical cognate *_Nixnutt_ ~
> *_Niksnutt_.  Depending on the dialect and the context, German
_Nichtsnutz_,
> _Taugenichts_ and _Tunichtgut_ (basically "useless person" or "person that
> does all (especially pranks) but useful things," oftentimes simply
"rascal,"
> "prankster" or non-American "cheeky b*gger," or worse: "despicable,
> dishonest person") tends to have the Northern LS equivalents _Dammelbüx_
> ['daml=bYks] ("silly pants"), _Sleev_ ~ _Sleef_ [slEIf] ~ _Sleiv_ ~
_Sleif_
> [slaIf] (literally "wooden ladle"), ...

Hello !
In Eastern Friesland LS we have _ónüt_ but that isn't "Nichtsnutz" but means
"useless", "vain", "unnecessary" (adj./adv.).
_ó~_ like _un~_ marks a negation and _nüt_ means "to be usefull for s.th.".
A "Tunichtgut" would be a "undööğ" [Ũdø:G] . The same word also means
"prank", "silly deed" etc..
Examples:
Häi is 'n undööğ. = He is a never-do-well. (This can really be said with a
smile it mustn't be a negative statement.)
Häi dājt 'n büelt undööğ. = He does many pranks.
The basic word is: döygen [dΛygN or dœygN] = to be of use, to be fit for, to
be good for.
Examples:
'T döğt näit = that doesn't good, that isn't of any use.
Häi döğt [dœGt] näit = he is a person you can't trust.
A _släif_ [slæIf] (literally "ladle", "scoop") denotes a (male) roguish
person (often a young one even a child).
Greetings
Holger

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