LL-L "Etymology" 2005.08.03 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 03.AUG.2005 (07) * 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: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.08.03 (06) [E]


Not sure if this is the right section for this question, but anyway...
Tonight in our German conversation group the subject of allotments (little 
food gardens) came up, and we discovered that the German word is "der 
Schrebergarten".  The "Schreber" bit had me perplexed; the German half of my 
dictionary doesn't have the word, or a verb "schreben", nor anything like 
it.  I tried a reverse Werner's Law trick to  come up with a Lowlands word 
and got something like *skreven or *skreeven, and possibly an Old English 
*screofan - none of which make the blindest bit of sense to me!

Can anybody fill in the etymology?

Paul

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

Hi, Paul!

It's also _Schrebergaarn_ in Low Saxon.

I used to feel as perplexed about these words when I was a kid, and I made 
up all sorts of scenarios about it in my head.

Turns out it's named after a person:  Daniel Gottlieb Moritz Schreber 
(1808-1861), a physician in Leipzig.

Apparently he was a _Reformarzt_ ("reform physician"), a member of a 
movement that during the age fast growing capitalism and industrialization 
searched for ways of restoring some balance to working people's lives by 
advocating natural medicine, nature hikes, allotted green spaces in which to 
rest, potter around and thus have periods of contact with the earth and with 
fresh air.  Schreber was not the originator of this idea, though, but he 
became famous enough for the idea to get his name.

It's what in Britain is called "allotments" and up here in the Seattle area 
"P-Patch" (though at least the latter is far less elaborate than a 
_Schrebergarten_).

Another mystery down the drain ...

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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