LL-L "Lexicon" 2004.04.19 (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: Pat Reynolds <pat at caerlas.demon.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Afrikaans" 2004.04.16 (04) [E]

Hello all,

While we are talking about Afrikaans, can I ask about the meaning,
currency and extent of usage of the derogatory term 'stoepsitter'?  My
source is three quotations in the OED, two from South Africa in the mid
20th Century, one presumably from the UK (The Sunday Times, 1972).  Is
this just an English term of abuse, or does an equivalent [referring to
architecture] exist in Afrikaans (or other languages?)

Coincidentally, I am just reading an excellent collection of papers on
African archaeology edited by Lyn Wadley: _Our Gendered Past_ (1997,
Witwatersrand University Press).  This includes a little summary on
Khoisan nomenclature.

With best wishes to all,

Pat
(still a research student in archaeology ....)

--
Pat Reynolds
pat at caerlas.demon.co.uk
   "It might look a bit messy now,
                    but just you come back in 500 years time"
   (T. Pratchett)

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

Hi, Pat!

Sorry -- I dare not give you the answer, am leaving that to the more
knowledgeable.

Here's just a couple of mariginal etymological notes for you.

Most speakers of Lowlands Saxon (Low German) will probably "understand"
_stoepensitter_, though assumedly only in the sense of "someone who
(habitually) sits on the steps of stairs," cognate to LS *_stoupensitter_
(*<Stopensitter>).

LS _stoup_ ~ _stöyp_ (<Stoop> ~ <Stööp>) means 'step' (of stairs and in any
statified situation, not "(foot)step," which is _stap_ (<Stapp>)), also
'tier', 'grade' or 'stage/step (in a development or process)'.

Derivations:

_stoupbalken_ ("step beam") 'support beam', 'threshold'
   other names for 'threshold':
      _sül_ ~ _sul_ ~ _sil_ (<Süll> ~ <Sull> ~ <Sill>, cf. Engl. "sill")
      _drümpel_ ~ _drempel_ (cf. Dutch _drempel_)
      _saal_

_stoupenpaal_ ~ _stöypenpaal_ (<Stopenpahl> ~ <Stöpenpahl>) 'bridge support
beam'

_Stoup_ ~ _stöyp_ seems to be absent from Eastern LS dialects.  They have
_stuuvt_ (<Stuuft> ~ <Stuft>, cf. German _Stufe_), which can also mean
'stub'.  Might this be a Slavonic-rooted item?

Cf. Polish _stopa_ 'foot' (= measure), _stopień_ 'degree', 'step' (in
architecture), _stopienowy_ 'gradually' (LS loan or native?)

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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