LL-L "Etymology" 2005.07.17 (03) [E/LS]

Sun Jul 17 19:14:09 UTC 2005

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From: Klaus-Werner Kahl <kwkahl at plattdeutsch.net>
Subject: Etymology

Laiwe Lüde,

mi is de Naome Lammermaond för Februar gewaor wuorden. Nu fraog ik mi,
waohiär he kümp. Häw he villicht wat daomet to doon, dat Schaope auk in´n
Lammermaond üören jungen Lammer kriegt?

Guëtgaon! Alles Gute! All the Best!

Klaus-Werner Kahl

www.plattdeutsch.net

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From: heather rendall <HeatherRendall at compuserve.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language use" 2005.07.16 (03) [E]

Message text written by INTERNET:lowlands-l at LOWLANDS-L.NET
>hypocrite: tumaus (< two mouth)
good friend: wantok (< one talk)

peeping Tom: lukstilman (< look steal man)<

Aren't languages (human minds) wonderful!

I do love transparent compounds:  - wantok - what  a perfect
description/concept for a friend.

And so tumaus seems the perfect antonoym

Heather

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

Heather,

> Aren't languages (human minds) wonderful!

You can say that again.  I suppose this is where particularly pidgin 
languages tend to shine, appear "charming" and give us great glimpses into 
linguistic creativity and also into native cultures and ways of perceiving 
the world.  Their base vocabularies, mostly taken from the "intruding" power 
languages, tend to be rather small.  So they have to be inventive in 
creating new words from those, either on the basis of native languages or 
"free-style," the latter of which tends to show how the native population 
perceive the colonists' world.  It seems that native and minority language 
lexicon is utilized only for non-colonist cultural items that can't easily 
be substituted and that may have already entered the lexicon of the 
colonists' native-based jargon.  This is because pidgins are used by the 
foreign colonists or traders as well and thus must be kept simple, must not 
contain complex native vocabulary.

Of course, many Westerners find this merely funny in a "primitive," childish 
sort of way.  The treasure trove of "genius" that it really is is noticed 
and appreciated only by some more insightful, sensitive and open-minded 
folks.

> I do love transparent compounds:  - wantok - what  a perfect
> description/concept for a friend.

Here are some more Wan Tok examples for you to appreciate:

accident: tupela i bam (< two-fellow he bang)
acquitted: winim kot (< win court)
advertisement, announcement: tok save (< talk knowledge*)
agressive man: man bilong pait (< man belong fight)
agreement: wanbel (< one belly)
air conditioner: win masin (< wind machine)
antiseptic: marasin bilong kilim jem (< medicine belong kill germ)
binoculars: glas bilong kapten (< glass belong captain)
boot: bikpela su (< big-fellow shoe)
born: mama i karim (< mama he carry)
boy, son: pikinini man (< child* man)
boy: manki (< monkey)
bra: banis bilong susu (< banister bilong milk)
brain: rot bilong het (< road belong head)
breathe: pulim win (< pull wind)
brothel: haus pamuk (< house sex)
certainly: orait orait (< all right all right)
clay pot: sospen graun (< saucepan ground)
condensed milk: strongpela susu (< strong-fellow milk)
confess: tokautim sin (< talk out sin)
controversy: tok bilong pait (< talk belong fight)
corpse: daiman (< die man)
corridor, hallway: ples wokabaut insait long haus (< place walkabout
   inside long house)
crowd: plenti man na meri (< plenty man and Mary/woman)
daughter, girl: pikinini meri (< child* Mary/woman)
day after tomorrow: haptumora (< half tomorrow)
day before yesterday: hapasde (< half pass day)
deceive: karamapim tok (< cover-up talk)
deceiver: man bilong karamapim tok (< man belong cover-up talk)
deep: godaun tru (< go down true)
denigrate, talk badly: rabisim (< (to) rubbish)
diarrhea: pekpek wara (< excrement water)
digestive system: rot bilong kaikai (< road belong food)
divorce: katim marit (< cut married)
dizzy: ai i raun (< eye he round)
dysentery: pekpek blut** (< excrement blood)
Europeans: mastamissis (< master mistress)
fax: kwik piksa leta (< quick picture letter)
football: kikbal (< kick ball***)
gasoline, petrol: bensin (< bezine**)
glutton: man belong kaikai (< man belong food)
guest: pasindia (< passenger)
hairdresser: man i save katim gras bilong het (< man he know*
   cut grass belong head)
harlot: pamuk meri (< sex Mary/woman)
husband: maritman (< married man)
helmet: hat ain (< hat iron)
it would be better if: mobeta sapos (< more better suppose)
laxative: solmarasin (< salt medicine)
married couple: tupela marit (< two-fellow married)
menu: pas bilong ol kaikai (< pass belong all food)
mirror: glas bilong lukluk (< glass belong look-look)
olive: pikinini diwai oliv (< child* tree olive)
opinion: tingting (> think-think)
pedestrian crossing: ples wokabaut (< place walkabout)
persistent offender: man i go i kam long kot (< man he go he
   come along court)
poor, destitute: nogat moni (< no got money)
poor man: rabisman (< rubbish man)
private: tambu long olgeta (< taboo along altogether)
punish: strafim (< punish, penalize**)
quantity: hamas (< how much)
rumor: tokwin (< talk wind)
shampoo: sop i het gras (< soap he head grass)
snore: pulim nus (< pull nose)
stevedore: wok sip (< work(er) ship)
talkative man: man bilong toktok (< man belong talk-talk)
toilet, restroom: haus pekpek (< house excrement)
valuable: i kastim planti mani (< he cost plenty money)
vine: rop bilong diwai (< rope bgelong tree)
warrior: man bilong pait (< man belong fight)
wind up a window: wokim glas i go antap (< work glass he
   go on top)
year of age: krismas (< Christmas)

good: gut***
better: mobeta (< more better)
best: nambawan (< number one)

bad: nogut (< no good)
worse: moa nogut (< more no good)
worst: nambawan nogut (< number one no good)

* from Portuguese
** from Unserdeutsch < German
*** from Unserdeutsch < German? (cf. bol 'testicle' < English "ball")

I assume that the suffix _-im_ comes from "him."

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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