LL-L "Introduction" 2004.09.11 (01) [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: john feather <johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Etymology

Gabriele

I hope you haven't misunderstood about "varsity". The sporting connotation
is US, not UK English. Chambers says first found in US English 1891. It also
gives "sergeant" and "varmint" as examples of the sound change.

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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From: Stella en Henno <stellahenno at hetnet.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2004.09.09 (05) [E]

> From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha <paada_please at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2004.09.09 (04) [E]
>
>
> Dear all:
>
> This should be a simple enough question for those among us able to speak
> Dutch. What is the purpose of the _-je_ suffix commonly found after verbs
> and nouns, e.g., _een boekje_ ("a book")? Is it just a diminutive? If so,
it
> seems to be used with the similar frequency to the forms _-o_ and _-ie_ in
> Australian English, e.g., _reggo_ ("registration"), _bikie_ ("biker").
>
> Go raibh maith agaibh
>
> Criostóir.

It is indeed a diminutive, as others have corroborated. But it has other
uses as well:
- to make a non-countable (mass) noun into something countable:
In Dutch one can say "een biertje" (bier + tje, an variant of -je after r)
for "a  (glass/bottle of) beer",
"een wijntje" for a glass of wine and a few more. Not all forms are
acceptable (*een melkje eg.) but it is quite common.
- after adverbs/adjectives (with extra -s): "eventjes" (a little while),
derived from "even" (a short while), "zachtjes" (for softly, hard to hear),
"zoetjes" (which can also be the plural of zoetje, an artificial sweetener
that people on a diet use) (sweet, nice; hard to pinpoint exactly, it's a
bit "childish" to use; people mostly use it to children) and a few more.
Another adjective-derived form is "groentje" (someone "green", a beginner).
It's common anyway for a diminutive to have a more idiomatic use than just
being a small this-or-that. Eg in West Frisian (where use as above also
occurs but much less commonly) "húske" is besides a small house, also the
word for toilet.
Also in Wf: "twake" (twa = 2, + ke) means "nest of a "ljip" (bird) contaning
two eggs" the diminutive is used as idiom-forming, so to speak.
-  Also to derive the names of bills (or coins)  from the counting words, cf
English "tenner", "fiver" In Dutch one says "tientje", "vijfje",
"twintigje", "honderdje" and so on. Also "kwartje" (a quarter, now extinct
in euro days) and "dubbeltje" (originally named so because it is two
"stuivers", so "dubbel" = double plus dim. ending).

I'm probably forgetting a lot of other uses here, but many such -je forms
will not always be plain old diminutives, but can have a varied meaning...

Regards

Henno Brandsma

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From: sam s claire <gamlhs at juno.com>
Subject:


Hello LLs: Recently Gabrielle K.asked about "varsity."  English is full of
words formed by the corruption process.  Here are a few well accepted
examples:
ALTERATION       BASE                 ALTERATION       BASE
banister                   baluster                sashay
chasse
brer                         brother                scrimmage
skirmish
currant                     Corinth                sexton
sacristan
cuss                         curse                   shameface
shamefirst
dilly                         delightful               tarnation
damnation
fecklessss                effectless              tawdry
St. Audrey
frosh                        freshmen              trump
triumph
heist                         hoist                    vaudeville
vaudvire
lucious                     delicious
onery                       ordinary

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