LL-L "Etymology" 2004.05.19 (03) [E/S]

[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 "Etymology" 2004.05.18 (10) [E]

Ron was wondering:
> What's the etymology of this _bra_?  _Braav_?  In pre-20th century German
> (and also in part in Lowlands Saxon) you could sometimes use _brav_ (<
> Italian _bravo_/_brava_ or Latin _bravus_/_brava_ 'brave'?) in the sense
of
> 'nicely' > 'considerably', 'pretty ...'.  It is still used in the sense of
> 'obiently', 'befittingly', when talking to children, but then only as an
> adverb.
>
> Any relationship with Swedish _bra_ 'nice', 'fine'?

First of all, "brav" is not only used as an adverb, but also as an
adjective: das brave Kind, die brave Frisur (the "good", i.e. "nerdy"
hairdo), das Pferd ist brav. Also, it is a standard expression when praising
dogs: "So ist's brav!", or "Braver Hund!" (="Good dog!"). Also, a husband
who doesn't go out much with his buddies, takes out the garbage and never
looks at other women would be called "ein braver Ehemann".

Then there is, of course, the mentioned adverbial "brainwashing" of
children: "Geh jetzt brav ins Bett" or "Iss brav deinen Spinat auf". When I
was little, the standard question of my father when he came home from work
or a trip would always be: "Warst du denn auch brav?" (So, have you been
good?). Of course, I would always reply with an enthusiastic "Yes!", but my
mother... aw, let's not go there.

There's a Scots equivalent, too, as in the following song by Robbie Burns;
this seems to be neither German "brav" nor English "brave", though, but more
among the lines of "handsome" or "nice", similar to Swedish "bra".

Braw Lads O' Galla Water

1.
Braw, braw lads on Yarrow braes,
They rove amang the blooming heather;
But Yarrow braes nor Ettrick shaws
Can match the lads o' Galla Water.
2.
But there is ane, a secret ane,
Aboon them a' I loe him better;
And I'll be his, and he'll be mine,
The bonie lad o' Galla Water.
3.
Altho' his daddie was nae laird,
And tho' I had nae meikle tocher,
Yet, rich in kindest, truest love,
We'll tent our flocks by Galla Water.
4.
It ne'er was wealth, it ne'er was wealth,
That coft contentment, peace, and pleasure:
The bands and bliss o' mutual love,
O, that's the chiefest warld's treasure!

Gabriele Kahn

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From: John Duckworth <jcduckworth2003 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: "Etymolgy."


Ron asked:

"What's the etymology of this _bra_?  _Braav_?"

Is it not possible that this _bra_ is from the same source as the Scots word
_braw_ (fine, handsome)? Of course Sandy would be able to elaborate on the
finer points of its use, but it does seem to be used as an emphatic as well
as a regular adjective. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary claims that the Scots
word comes from French _brave_ (which has roughly the same sense), and the
Shorter Oxford English Dictionary agrees with that etymology, but surely it
is equally possible that it comes from Scandinavian (e.g. Swedish _bra_
(nice, fine) as Ron points out).

John Duckworth

Preston, UK

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