LL-L "Etymology" 2004.08.21 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 21.AUG.2004 (08) * 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: john feather <johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Etymology

Sifting initial 'n': It seems that 'orange' is not an example of this, at
least in Eng. Chambers says the shift to the indef article occurred in
OFrench. Onions also says that 'orenge' was borrowed from OFr. Hachette says
the n-less form was borrowed into Fr from Provencal.

'eke name' => 'nickname' is not just a guess. 'eke' is found in Chaucer
meaning 'also', 'in addition'.

'Newt' comes about in the same way but the original form 'ewte' is still
recognisable in the modern words 'evet' and 'eft' with the same meaning.

Kenneth says he uses 'kaldenamn' in Dan.for 'nickname'. As I understand it
'kaldenamn' usually means 'Christian name' or 'given name'. So do other
Danes understand him? Sorry to leave Lowlands territory but a high
percentage of my Danish vocabulary is at stake.

In the discussion of 'teon', etc, John Baskind wrote:

'te(gen) = English tug, perhaps? Much gentler than "pull".'

Apart from the use in 'tug(boat)' it seems to me that 'tug' has a very
specific semantic range. A child 'tugs' at his mother's skirt (if he can
reach it!) to get her attention. If he were a little older he might 'tug' at
a stuck door or drawer to open it. Older still he might 'tug' at his beard.
In each case the hand jerks but the object tugged doesn't move
significantly. In a 'tug of war' there is minimal movement. Chambers
Dictionary curiously gives 'jerking pull' for the noun but not the verb.

I wondered about a connexion with 'draw', etc. There isn't one but more
interestingly 'draw' and its cognates are purely Germanic and there is no
established connexion with Lat. 'trahere' although some of their usages are
influenced by the Lat. word. Despite all appearances there is no
relationship between Ger. 'Tracht' and Lat. 'tract-'.

John Feather
johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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