LL-L "Etymology" 2006.04.13 (06) [E]

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
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13 April 2006 * Volume 06
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From: Dave Singleton <davidsin at pt.lu>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2006.04.13 (01) [E]

Hi all,
I dug out these bits courtesy of an online middle english dictionary

Deye, sb. a female servant, esp. one who looks after the cows and dairy
 deye, a cow-boy, Cath.—Icel. deigja
Gurles, sb. pl. children (of either sex), C, PP; gerles, PP. Phr.: knave 
gerlys, boys, HD. Cf. Gyrle.
Gyrle, sb. a child, generally a girl, but also used of a boy, MD; gerles, 
pl., MD; girles, MD. Cf. Gurles.
Knaue, sb. a boy-baby, boy, servant, knave, S, S2, C2; cnafe, MD; cnaue, 
MD.—AS. cnafa; cp. OHG. chnabe (G. knabe).
Sweyne, sb. servant,  swayn,  swein; sueyn; suein,.—Icel. sveinn, a boy, 
lad,

This could explain a lot of problems young lads had !!

On the skerry side didn't the Gaelic have a song about Schule Skerry (hope 
that's right) about merfolk who changed fron seals to people and back 
gain  --- 

Dave Singleton

From: Kevin Caldwell <kevin.caldwell1963 at verizon.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2006.04.11 (09) [E]


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

    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.
  Interestingly, the English word "boy" possibly originally meant a slave or
  male servant, supposedly coming from the same IE root as "cow", "bovine",
  and "beef" (Latin "bos").


    From the Online Etymological Dictionary

  (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php):

  "boie "servant, commoner, knave, boy," possibly from O.Fr. embuie "one
  fettered," from V.L. *imboiare, from L. boia "leg iron, yoke, leather
  collar," from Gk. boeiai dorai "ox hides." But it also appears to be
  identical with E.Fris. boi "young gentleman," and perhaps with Du. boef
  "knave," from M.Du. boeve, perhaps from M.L.G. buobe."

  Kevin Caldwell

  ---------- 

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

  Thanks, guys!

  By the way, in case you weren't alread aware of it, all of you belong to 
the kahunically distinguished 
(http://www.lowlands-l.net/treasures/kahuna.htm).

  Yes, Roland, English "shore" appears to be related to Low Saxon _schaar_ 
(the latter of which can also mean 'shore', albeit in the special sense of 
"broken-off shoreline," where there is a sudden drop from arable land on top 
to the beach or water below, something that in German is called _Steilküste_ 
("steep coast").  And there's the apparently related "sheer" (_schier_), as 
in "sheer drop."  I assume that English "skerry" is a Scandinavian loan 
specially denoting the types of rocky island common along parts of the 
Nordic coasts (< = loanword):

  Old Norse: sker
  Icelandic: sker
  Faeroese: sker
  Swedish: skär
  Norwegian: skjer
  Danish: skær
  English: skerry <
  Scots: skerry, scarey <
  Gaelic: sgeir <
  German: Schäre (~ Schäreninsel) <
  Latvian: šēra <
  Polish: schery <
  Estonian: skäär <
  Finnish: kari <

  Kevin:


    Interestingly, the English word "boy" possibly originally meant a slave 
or
    male servant, supposedly coming from the same IE root as "cow", 
"bovine",
    and "beef" (Latin "bos").


  Very interesting indeed!  Thanks.

  And "girl" (< _gyrela_) whose origin appears to be somewhat obscure but 
seems to be linked with words for "virgin," only came to denote 'female 
child' in the 16th century.  Before that it could mean "child" in general, 
and it seems to be related to Low Saxon _goere_ ~ _goer_ [gø:re] ~ [gø:3`] 
'child' (> German _Gör_ negative for 'brat', 'little monster'), 
interestingly appears with two genders: _de goere_ ~ _dat goer_.

  Similarly, East Frisian Low Saxon _wicht_ for 'girl' seems to have started 
meaning 'child' in general (related to English "wight").

  The folks at _The Oxford English Dictionary_ say that these words, as also 
"lad" and "lass," are difficult to etymologize because they may well have 
begun as jocular words and have undergone dramatic semantic shifts.

  Interesting is the Drenthe Low Saxon word _prugel_ ["pry:x at l] for 'child', 
because it sounds as if it is related to German _Prügel_ 'stick for 
beating', 'beating', 'hiding' ...  That's scary, not to mention "scarey" as 
in "skerry" ...
----------

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

Our Dave!  Yippee!  And with interesting ety-goodies, too!

Dave, I hope you are aware that you, too, are one of the kahunically chosen.
http://www.lowlands-l.net/treasures/kahuna.htm

How cool is that?  I hope you feel duly tickled pink.

Go on and say "Duh!" if you will, but the penny don't drop 'round here 'bout 
your remark about boys' troubles.  Huh?!

Cheers!
Reinhard/Ron 

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