LL-L "Etymology" 2006.04.11 (09) [E]

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11 April 2006 * Volume 09
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From: Stellingwerfs Eigen <info at stellingwerfs-eigen.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology"

Ron wrote:
>   Meisjeburg (Maideborg/Magdeburg)

Very interesting for me Ron, that You do name Magdeburg as Meisjeburg 
because in our translation off the Bible we always struggle with the 
question if Maria was a _maagd_ (like the Bible in Dutch, a women who never 
slept with a man) or a _maegd_ (dienstmeid, dienstmeisje). I myself also 
thought that Magdeburg was known as Maagdenburg in Dutch. Perf. Van der 
Meiden van de Twentse biebel hoolt ok altied vol dat in the oold books Maria 
was a _maegd_ in de zin van dienstmeid not saying that she never slept with 
a man. Do You (or anyone else) know more about the etymology of _Magdeburg_ 
and/or the Dutch word _maagd_ and/or _meid_ even in comparition with Greek 
en/or Hebreeuw?
Mit een vrundelike groet uut Stellingwarf (et mooiste stokkien Drente in 
Fryslân)
Piet Bult

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

Beste Piet,

I am not sure.  However, ...

(1) _Magd_, _maagd_, _maegd_, "maid," etc., is the source of diminutive 
_Mädchen_, _meisje_ and other such words for "girl."  In Old German it is 
_magad_ for 'girl', 'virgin' or 'young, unmarried woman' and diminutive 
_magatîn_ for '(little) girl'.  _Magad_ in the sense of 'servant girl' was a 
secondary development.

Old German: magad / magatîn
   > Magd / Mädchen
Old Saxon: magath
   > maagd / eastern: meken* <Maagd / Mäken>
Old Frisian: megith / megith ~ meiden
Old English: -- / mægeþ ~ mægden ~ méowle
   > maid / --
Old Norse: mey / meyla
Gothic: maþa >? mawi

Originally, all these words seem to have meant "female virgin."  The sense 
'servant girl' came much later.  For possibly older words for 'servant 
girl', please consider these:

Old German: diu (domestic maid: innaburia)
Old Saxon: thiu, thiuwa
Old English: ciefes, lŷtle, menen, scielcen, þéowe, þéowene, þignen, þîr, 
þyften
Old Norse: deigja, þŷ
Gothic: þiwi, þiwairna

Cf. Old Germanic:
*þewa- 'to be subject'
*þewa- '(male) servant'
*þewanô- 'to serve'
*þewên- 'to subject to servitude'
*þewernô- 'servant's daughter', 'female servant'
*þewi- 'female servant'

My assumption is that names for "girl" came to be quasi-euphemisms for 
"(female) servant."  Besides, the two tended to be the same in most medieval 
and earlier communities.  With the exception of well-protected upper-class 
girls, all girls were used as unpaid or cheap labor, first in their homes, 
then often in other people's houses and finally in their parents-in-law's 
houses until they reached matronhood and replaced the previous head matrons. 
On top of that, those of the lowest classes, tended to be defenseless sexual 
prey as well.  No wonder many of them opted out, oftentimes had no choice if 
they were disenfranchized "old spinsters" due to remaining single or being 
widowed, or if they adhered to pre-Christian believes and thus required the 
"security" of seclusion.  Those were the women that lived on the fringes, 
typically in the woods (hage > _hagedisse_ 'witch'), either solitary or in 
communities, mostly making a living by spinning (i.e., "spinster"), selling 
mushrooms and herbs, and performing traditional healing (mostly on women and 
children).  It is primarily from among their ranks that the witch hunts (one 
of the greatest holocausts) claimed its victims.

In the local Eastphalian Low Saxon dialect, Magdeburg (the capital of 
Saxony-Anhalt, in formerly Slavonic-speaking territory) is called 
_Maydeborg_ (usually written <Meideborch>) ["ma:\IdebO:IC].

My feeling is that Meideborch/Magdeburg relates to young women.  It's oldest 
known name (804 CE) is _Magadoburg_.

However, I don't know the story behind this, and I sure wish I did.  Anyone?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron 

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