LL-L "Lexicon" 2006.02.13 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

   L O W L A N D S - L * 13 February 2006 * Volume 04
=======================================================================

From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at scotstext.org>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2006.02.13 (01) [D/E]

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Lexicon
>
> Now, what about Scots?  I know there are _lift_ and _pen(d)_ for 'sky'
> and _heiven_* for 'heaven'.  Is there an overlap their as well?

A "pend" is simply an arch, so if it's used for sky I'd think it was
poetic imagery.

"Heiven" corresponds pretty much to English "heaven", I'd say. I don't
think the English poetic phrase "the heavens" for the sky would be used
in Scots, unless in some recognisable construction borrowed form
English, such as "the heavens opened".

"Lift" can mean sky or just the air or aerial environment in general,
I'd say.

"Sky" in Scots is used to mean something like "cloudscape" or the
general appearance of the sky. It certainly seems to me to be more
appropriate to use "sky" than "lift" in Scots when talking about, say,
clouds clearing up or the appearance of a sunset or sunrise, and I'd say
a "clear sky" rather than a "clear lift".

It's as if "sky" referred to the apparent dome we see above us, "heiven"
were more to do with what we imagine to be beyond it, and "lift" more to
do with what's inside it, though still above us  :)

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/

----------

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

Thanks a lot, Sandy.  That's really interesting, especially the bit about 
_sky_.  I assume it is an Old Norse loan.  In Scandinavian, it means 
'cloud':

Danish: sky
DanNorw: sky
NewNorw: sky
Swedish: sky
Icelandic: ský

Old Norse: ský (cloud)
Old Saxon: skion (cloud cover)

Some suspect that these words are related to Old English _scuwa_, Old Norse 
_skugge_ (> English "scug") and Old German _scuwo_ 'shade', 'shadow'.

Note in this connection that in some Modern Low Saxon dialects a word for 
'overcast' is _hevenschaddig_ ("heaven/sky-shadowy").

Note also obsolete English 'to skew' in the sense of 'to become overcast'.

However, I also wonder if there is a clue in the Gothic verb _skêw-_ 
(_skêwjan_) meaning 'to move forward', 'to drift', to travel', 'to wander'.

(No, apparently _skêwjan_ is not related to English 'to shove', Low Saxon 
_schuven_, German _schieben_, etc., which correspond to Gothic _skiub-_ 
(_skiuban_).)

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron 

==============================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
======================================================================