LL-L "Folklore" 2003.10.07 (02) [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: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Literature" 2003.10.06 (10) [E/LS]

Ron wondered:

> I do, I do, Anja! "Bukst(h)uud'" [bUks't_hu:.(d)] in dey olde spraak.
Isn't
> that _'neem dey hunden mit d'n steyrt belt_ ("where dogs bark with their
> tails") or something silly like that?

Yes, that's true, as a little girl I was told by my father (who, of course,
knew everything): :in Buxtehude bellen die Hunde mit dem Schwanz.

I remember reading an explanation for that saying a long time ago; the
"Hunde" (dogs) were church bells which were rung ("bellen", as in Dutch)
with a rope attached to them (instead of whacking them with a hammer, for
instance), which seems to have been an unusual procedure for that area and
time. I don't know much about the history of Buxtehude, but there seems to
have been some strong British influence there.

Hope this explains it a little...

Gabriele Kahn

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

Thanks, Anja.  I wasn't aware of the story behind what I had always thought
of a silly saying.  I wonder if it points to Dutch/Flemish or far-western
Lowlands Saxon influx, given that in the LS dialects _bellen_ is not used
for 'to ring (a bell)'.  That would be _bayern_ (<beiern>) with reference to
large bells and _bimmeln_, _bingeln_ or _pingeln_ with reference to small
bells, though _lüyden_ (<lüden>) is also used, albeit sounding somewhat
bookish to some.  Perhaps the use of _bellen_ by settlers from the west was
considered so funny -- since it coincides with native _bellen_ 'to bark' --
that people started saying things like _In Bukstuud', daar "bellt" sey dey
klokken_ ("In Buxtehude they 'bark' their bells."), and the story went from
there.

By the way, it has been proposed that Buxsted in Sussex, England, is a
"child" of Buxtehude, that Saxon settlers imported the name to England.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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