LL-L "Morphology" 2005.09.27 (03) [E]

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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Morphology" 2005.09.26 (10) [E]

Ron wrote:
>  In Low Saxon, for instance, there is the measure word _göpsch_ denoting
the
> amount of something (e.g., water or berries) that fits into two cupped
hands
> held together.  That would be an example of a special measure.  I have
never
> come across an equivalent in another language.

Except for German "Handvoll", of course...

Gabriele Kahn

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

Gabriele (above):

> Except for German "Handvoll", of course...

Sure.  This is common to lots of or most languages.  Low Saxon, too, has 
_handvul_ (<Handvull_).  (Some people use _göpsch_ to mean 'handful', but 
that's not the actual, original meaning.)

My point is that once in a while a language develops a seemingly "odd" word, 
like this measure word.  However, if you think about it, it isn't really so 
weird, and you wonder why other languages don't have equivalents of it.  In 
this case, two cupped hands held together to receive a larger quantity than 
a handful seems rather common.  No doubt we have all encountered it many, 
many times in our lives, for instance held under a spigot or faucet (tap) to 
receive water for drinking or rinsing washing, or held out to catch as much 
candy, berries or coins as possible ...

Furthermore, this word's etymology seems problematic.  I can't find anything 
that is similar to it in the related old languages.  For now I am assuming 
that it is derived from _geb-_, the root of the Old Saxon word _geban_ 'to 
give', where in a closed syllable the vowel is rounded by assimilating to 
the following /b/ (actually a barred "b", thus probably a bilabial fricative 
like medial Spanish <b> and <v>).  So you hold out your hands to form a cup 
when you are *given* something.  So it may have come from *_gebsch_.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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