LL-L "Etymology" 2005.01.18 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 18.JAN.2005 (02) * 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: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Dear Lowlanders,

Quite a few of you may already know that natives or long-time residents of
Hamburg (Germany) use a special salutation with each other whenever they
encounter each other outside Hamburg.  It must seem a bit weird to others, a
bit like a secret handshake.  This is how it goes:

     A: "Hummel-Hummel!"
     B: "Mors-Mors!"

(Not answering "Mors-Mors!" gives away that you are not a genuine
Hamburger.)

Most people don't know what this means and what's behind it.  The usual
story has it that in the early 19th century (when most ordinary people still
spoke Low Saxon there) there was a water-carrier or water-vendor in Hamburg
who was a bit of a character, an odd bird, apparently on the grumpy side, or
even ill-tempered according to some.  As he was walking the streets,
children would swarm around him and would tease him by calling _Hummel,
Hummel!_  They did so feeling safe, since he could rarely catch them, given
that he carried all that water.  He would shout back at them, _Mors, Morse!_
(which should really be spelled _Maars, Maars_ < am Aars), which means "Ass,
ass" (or "Arse, arse" for our non-American friends).  Apparently, it's a
shortened form of the curse _Klei mi an'n Mors!_ (_Klay my an d'n maars!_
"Scratch me on the ass!).

Many people assume that the water vendor's last name was Hummel.  In fact,
he was called Johann Wilhelm Bentz (1787-1854).  So why did the children
call him "Hummel"?  Another story has it that the place at which he lived
(Grote Dreihbohn/Große Drehbahn Nr. 36) was previously that of the municipal
soldier Daniel Christian Hummel, who was very popular among the children.

I've always wondered why this call "Hummel, Hummel!" would have enraged the
water vendor so.  Both in Low Saxon (Low German) and German, _Hummel_ means
'bumblebee'.  It could be worse.  Yesterday I had an "epiphany," triggered
by the word _hummeley_ (_Hummelee_ ['hUme'lE.I]) I used in my translation of
the Scots poem "Tam O' Shanter".  I used it in it's usual sense
'flirtation', 'dalliance', etc.  (The suffix _-ey_ ~ _y_ marks abstract
nowns denoting habitual action, as in _bakker(e)y_, cf. Danish _bageri_,
English _bakery_, or _bummel(e)y_ 'bumbling', 'dawdling'.)  Then it came to
me that another meaning of Low Saxon _hummel_ is 'loose woman', a bit more
polite than _hour_ (_Hoor_) 'whore'.  I am not sure if at some point in time
it was also used for men.  At any rate, the connection seems apparent: a
bumblebee bumbles from flower to flower.  Theoretically, then, there ought
to have been a verb *_hummeln_, but I am not aware of it, and I can't check
because most of my dictionaries have preceded me to California.  (I assume
that the _-(e)l-_ is the old frequentative marker, thus "to hum on an on".)

In this light it may be a bit clearer why our poor, grumpy water vendor was
so irritated by being called "Hummel."

Does anyone else have a better idea about this?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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