LL-L "Etymology" 2008.04.18 (07) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 18 April 2008 - Volume 07
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From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology"

Beste Lowlanders,

Regarding race pigeons, some words could be of interest:

   - The English term for the shed in which the pigeons live, very much
   resembles our Brabantish word for it: dovecot(e) ~ doëvecot (B)


   - The name for a pigeon keeper is "nen doëvesjapper", "een
   duivenmelker" in Standard Dutch. Why he's called "a milker" gets explained
   here

        http://meeuwenclub.sierduif.nl/private/duivenmelker.htm

The author thinks "a duivenmelker" originally meant somebody stealing
pigeons (compare "huisjesmelker"). I have my doubts somehow, because our
Brabantish word "sjapper" litterally means "tapper" < "tappen" = "to tap",
and could thus relate to the crop of the pigeon, producing milk. Anyhow,
"sjapper" is one of the few words where initial "t" > "sj" (together with
"top" > "sjop"). Maybe "t" was palatalized a lot more in the past than it is
today?

   - A male pigeon is called "ne köpper/köbber" (also extramarital
   lover), related to Frisian "kob" (sea-gull), English "cob" (mew, top of
   head, short-legged horse), High German dialect "kob" (raven, crow), Old
   Norse "kobbi" (seal). Maybe related to some extent is Western Flemish
   "keppe/kebbe" (darling, lover) ~ Old English "cefes/cifes"; German "Kebse",
   "käfig", all early loans from Latin "cavea", (cave, Southern Dutch keef,
   keve, kevie = cage), the idea being, that an extramarital lover is somebody
   you share your "cave" with. In this respect "cave" could both mean "house"
   and "bed", for example: "Ik kruip in mijn keef" (B) = "Ik ga slapen".

Kind greetings,

Luc Hellinckx
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