LL-L "Etymology" 2006.04.14 (08) [E]

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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
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14 April 2006 * Volume 08
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From: David Barrow <davidab at telefonica.net.pe>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2006.04.14 (01) [E]

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Etymology
>
> David (Barrow), you wrote:
>
>> I think you may be confusing  'sheer' with 'shear'
>
> And I responded:
>
>> Hmmm ....  I don't think so.  Here's one of  the meanings of "sheer"
>> (adj/adv) given by the _OED_:
>>
>> <quote>
>>
>> 9. a. Of a descent or ascent, the face of a wall, cliff, etc.: Continued
>> perpendicularly or very steeply down or up without break or
>> halting-place.
>> </quote>
>>
>> Hence, you say things like "sheer cliff" and "sheer rock face."  In
>> writing,
>> this is attested only as far back as 1800 ("And climbing up the
>> hill(it was
>> at least Four roods of sheer ascent)" Wordsworth; "This lake,..whose
>> barriers drear Are precipices sharp and sheer," Scott. 1815).
>
> Having said all that, I hasten to add that I think it's possible that
> this "sheer" started as misspelled "shear."
>
> On the other hand, "shear" is a verb, and an adjectival form would
> thus have to be a particial form: "sheared" (> *<sheard>).
>
> I still think that it's really <sheer> also in the sense of
> "precipitous," possibly related to "sheer" in the sense of "pure,"
> "bare," > "utter" *> "clear and simple" > "unmitigated" *> "sudden,"
> "abrupt" (versus "gradual"). So you can say things like "sheer
> nonsense," "sheer truth" and "sheer drop (e.g., of a rock formation)."
>
> Regards,
> Reinhard/Ron

Ron,

I never got the response you mention above

I meant in the sense of 'cut' as you said at the end of your message:

I rather wonder if this Scheria has anything to do with those sheer
coastal precipes (Low Saxon _schaar_, e.g., on the Baltic See coast)
and/or those rocky islands or "cut-off" rocks or cliffs along the Baltic
Sea coast (e.g., Swedish _skär_, Norwegian _skjer_, Danish _skær_, Old
Norse _sker_ > English "skerry," Gaelic _sgeir_, cf. Dutch _scheer_).
This is related to English "sheer" ('to rise/drop steeply',
'rising/dropping steeply') and German _Schere_ (scissors), thus with the
sense of "cut."

shear is the cognate word not sheer:

 From Webster to add to what I quoted from etymonline

Shear v [ME scheren, sheren OE sceran, scieran, scyran; akin to D and G
scheren, ON skera]
Shear n [OE scēar]

Sheer [ME schere prob from ON skærr, but influenced by the kindred OE
scīr ME shire, akin to Dan skjær, SW skär, also ON skīr, OE scīr, OS
skīri, MHG schīr, G schier, Goth skeirs, and E shine]

see also AHD at bartleby

shear
http://www.bartleby.com/61/51/S0325100.html

IE roots for shear
http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE467.html

sheer
http://www.bartleby.com/61/5/S0330500.html

I think sheer cliff evolved from the sense of an absolute, pure incliine
not from the sense of cut off.

David Barrow

---------

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

Hello, Dave!

Thanks.  Weird you did't get my response.  Please find the whole thing 
below.

Cheers!
Reinhard/Ron

***
Our Dave!  Again... the other one, or one of several.

Nice to hear from you, too, and to thank you for you ety-share.

> I think you may be confusing  'sheer' with 'shear'

Hmmm ....  I don't think so.  Here's one of  the meanings of "sheer"
(adj/adv) given by the _OED_:

<quote>

9. a. Of a descent or ascent, the face of a wall, cliff, etc.: Continued
perpendicularly or very steeply down or up without break or halting-place.
</quote>

Hence, you say things like "sheer cliff" and "sheer rock face."  In writing,
this is attested only as far back as 1800 ("And climbing up the hill(it was
at least Four roods of sheer ascent)" Wordsworth; "This lake,..whose
barriers drear Are precipices sharp and sheer," Scott. 1815).

However this may be, David, the Kahuna has ordered me to tell you that your
fragrant appellation has been regrettably slow in materializing, is,
however, well-deserved and exceptional in that it is a weighty historical
quote.  Please feel free to step into the Hall of Honor to claim it.
[http://www.lowlands-l.net/treasures/kahuna.htm]

Un a gezunt oyf dayn pupek!
Reinhard/Ron

P.S.: My Chinese astrological sign is the pig, by the way.  ;-) 

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