LL-L "Etymology" 2004.09.25 (09) [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: Ruth & Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2004.09.24 (13) [E]

Dear Mark,

Subject: LL-L "Etymology" > I think your explanation has answered my
question, but (isn't there always a
> but?) looking at the other lowlands languages with cognates of "ruth",
they
> also seem to have a w in the place that English has the thorn.  Okay, so
Old
> English orthography has confused a bunch of us moderns.  We see an Old
> English thorn and think it's a w.  That explains the original discrepancy.

I doubt if it really does, but never mind, let me approach this 'laterally'.
Now, a feature of Teutonic honour, Inevitably important to the Anglo-Saxon,
is 'truwa' - ME cognate 'true - 'faithful'. (Let's ride with the ME) with
'truth' & 'troth' (the kind you plight).

> The cognates provided by several of you gave an example of the Dutch words
> "rouwen, ruwelijk" and one Old High German of "hriuwa" etc.  Is this the
> same thing as the thorn and w orthographic confusion?

What you have been looking at is a suffix that in the appropriate grammatic
context replaces or follows a vowl group or diphthong that some Low German
dialects express with a following 'w'. Afrikaans dumped it for a 'u'.
English indicates such a diphthong with a closing silent-e.

I think the same applies to rue & ruthful as true & truthful, & you have
been picking up the trans-dialectic turbulance.

Yrs,
Mark

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