LL-L 'Etymology' 2007.01.16 (03) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 16 January 2007 - Volume 03

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From: "list at marcusbuck.org"
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2007.01.16 (01) [E]

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Etymology
>
> Thanks, Arthur ... I think.
>
> I suppose my incandescence arises from a near perpetual state of
> effervescence.
>
> > Butzfletherbutendiek
>
> Well, the butendiek part means "outer dike," or "outside the dike," I
> suppose.
>
> Fleth is an older German way of spelling Fleet.
>
> Butzfleth must be a place name, because the whole thing means "Outer Dike
of
> Butzfleth."
>
> What this Butz thing is I do not know.  The affricate /ts/ is very rare in
> the language and tends to arise either from contraction or suffixing (if
it
> doesn't have its root in Slavonic loans).  I rather suspect that it's the
> genitive /s/ as in English "'s", in which case there may have been a
person
> by the name of *But" or *"Bud" ...
>
> This is as far as I can get on this one.
>
> Say hi to Robin, my fellow incandescent light.
> Reinhard/Ron

The place is called Bützfleth (with U-Umlaut in case of my mailprogram
destroying the character). From the year 1060 the name is known as
'Buttesflethe', so I guess you are right with it being a genitive form of a
first name 'Butt/Butto' (?) or something like that. (But do fleths have
owners?)

But whether Bützfletherbutendiek sounds hilarious: I have no idea. The place
today is known for its industry. The now shut down nuclear power plant, a
chemical plant of Dow Chemical, two Aluminium plants (one gone out of work
two
weeks ago). And its cargo port is the eighth biggest in Germany.

Marcus Buck

----------

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

Thanks a lot for clarifying that, Marcus.

In my experience, many British people find certain "German" names and signs
funny, and some get the giggles like primary school kids everytime they see
the sign Ausfahrt ((freeway) exit).

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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