LL-L "Etymology" 2006.02.24 (03) [E]

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24 February 2006 * Volume 03
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From: Henno Brandsma <hennobrandsma at hetnet.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2006.02.24 (02) [E]

> From: burgdal32admin <burgdal32 at pandora.be>
> Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2006.02.17 (02) [E]
>
>> From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
>> Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2006.02.16 (04) [E/LS/German]
>>
>>> From: Roger Hondshoven <roger.hondshoven at pandora.be>
>>> Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2006.02.15 (08) [E/LS]
>>>
>>> Ever since I first heard the expression "te griest" in my Getelands
>>> dialect
>>> (East-Brabant), I have been mystified by it. The meaning of it is
>>> "along a
>>> shorter or the shortest way" (for instance through, across a field).
>>
>> In my Limburgish (Vliermaal) I would use "terwjaas".
>> E.g. not taking the road around a field but going straight over the
>> field in
>> the shortest way. I guess in Dutch I would use "dwars over".
>>
>> "Terwjaas" is also used for people who never agree and behave
>> difficult in
>> decisions; I guess the closest in Dutch would be "dwarskop".
>>
>> Regards,
>> Roger
>
> Hi Roger and Roger and Ron,
> In my Western Flemish we use the word  'twè(r)s / twè(r)schen", and
> also "dwèrs",
> which has the Dutch meaning of "dwars (door)".
> We use it also like this:
> -Twèrs over straote gaon (E/ To cross the street)
> -De rivier twèrsen (E/ To swim across the river)
> -Twèrsen deur nen akker loôp' (E: To cross a field)
> -Een akker eggen van langsten en ton van twèrsten (E: To drag a
> field  on the long side and then on the short side)
> - Van twèrsten zijn (E: to annoy somebody)

Looks like a strange Frisian relic, or a special development. Frisian  used 
to have "twers" (now uses dwers, under Dutch influence), from *thwers < 
*twars, which is related to Dutch dwars etc. Of course th > t is standard in 
Frisian (tinke (cf think), tomme (cf. thumb), troch (cf through)).

Henno

> Could that come from the Latin "transversus"?
>
> Groetjes
> Luc vanbrabant
> Oekene 

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