LL-L "Etymology" 2008.01.28 (04) [D/E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  28 January 2008 - Volume 04
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From: Utz H. Woltmann <uwoltmann at gmx.de>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2008.01.27 (06) [D]

Roland Desnerck schreef:

> "Mailboot" ziet er inderdaad ongewoon uit.

Apropo: Er was eens een dubbelschroef-turbine-mailschip genaamd 'Slamat'.

http://www.wivonet.nl/slamatpag.htm

Hartelijke groeten
Utz H. Woltmann

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From: Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.01.27 (04) [E]

Subject: L-Lowlands "Etymology"
I recently came across an Afrikaans word that fascinates me: mowiese.

This word is a 'minced oath'. What the speaker is avoiding *actually* saying
in mixed company or polite society is - pardon me, I speak strictly in
etymological context - 'moerse'. It is an extremely coarse reference to
motherhood or the maternal organs of generation, related to 'moer' = dam
in English, in stockbreeding terminology, equally an alternative when not
applicable to humankind, to 'die baarmoeder' = the womb.

In plain English the speaker or writer would put it so:
"I can confirm that a fucking great yacht recently sailed up the Kwelera..."
"There are a fucking heap of prizes."
"...with a fucking great syringe & drill in his hand.."

It means "Awsome Hall. Fucking Awsome!"

In following sentences (all quoted from Afrikaans message boards and
e-groups) 'mowiese' is an adejective, which seems to mean something as
'very' (or terrific, terrible, great, awesome, etc.).

"I can confirm that 'n *moewiese* groot yacht recently sailed up the
Kwelera"...
"daar is *moewiese* pryse "
"met 'n *moewiese* spuit en boor in die hand" (it's about a visit to the
dentist :-).

Where does the word come from? Is there any relation to 'mowies' (movies)?
And what about 'mowiese saal'? Does it mean 'movie theater' or 'awesome
hall'?

I retire blushing crimson,

Yrs,
Mark

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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.01.25 (06) [A/E/LS]

From: Joachim Kreimer-de Fries <Kreimer at jpberlin.de>
...This calling Ossenbrügge and at least the interpretation in
reference to the deplorable fate and destiny of trek- or fattened
oxes is a late "volksetymologische" (popular reinterpretation) of the
Middel-/Modern Saxon Naming Osenbrucghe/Ossenbrügg(e).

For what it's worth Osnabruck is the official twin town of Derby, England.
We even have an Osnabruck Square, with a signpost telling us how far away it
is.  We occasionally get trade fairs and things, but they all speak English
- or standard German to anyone who can speak it.  I never thought to ask if
anyone spoke any sort of Lowlands language.
Paul Finlow Bates

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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.01.27 (07) [E]

Hi Elsie, is this a recent word? I don't recall it from South Africa 30-odd
years ago, though I was only competent in Afrikaans, never fluent.

Paul Finlow-Bates
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