LL-L "Etymology" 2008.06.30 (02) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 30 June 2008 - Volume 02
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From: jonny <jonny.meibohm at arcor.de>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology"

Beste Lowlanners, Reinhard,

these days I came across the word LS _Klu(u)f_,_Klu(u)v_, used in the idiom
'Dat hebb ick oppp'n Kluuv', G: 'da lauert Gefahr', Northern German
dialect: *'Das habe ich auf Sicht'*, E: 'I fear sth. could be dangerous'.

I wonder about this word; the only connection I see could be LS
'klüf-(v-)tig', which could be translated into G(!): 'raffiniert', 'clever',
but E: 'tricky'.

Does anyone, in special our Dutch neighbours, find any further related words
which could give answer about the roots?


Allerbest, and thanks in award!

Jonny Meibohm

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

Hey, Jonster!

Hmm ... I rather assume it comes from *kluuv'* (*Kluuv* ~ *Kluw* [kluːˑv] <
*kluve* [ˈkluːve]), dialectical variant of *klau* (*Klau* [klaˑu] <
*klaue*[ˈklaˑue]) and
*klaaw'* (*Klaaw ~ Klaw** *[klɒːˑv] < *klawe* [ˈklɒːve]). If I remember
correctly, Middle Saxon has *kluve* ~ *kluwe* and *klawe*. These are
cognates of German *Klaue* and English *claw*, with the same meaning. A
derivation from *kluuv'* is *kluven* 'to pick (up from the ground)', 'to
glean', and a derivation from *klau* is *klauen* 'to steal'; cf. German *
klauben* and *klauen*.

In the idiomatic phrase you mentioned, I imagine a cat about to pounce or
already "playing" with a little furry or feathered victim ...

As for *klüftig*, I am not sure if it's derived from *Kluft* 'abyss' or *
kluft* 'outfit', 'duds'. I rather suspect the latter, hence in the sense of
looking and seeming smart and nifty in a special outfit, then extended to
'smart' generally' and then to 'sharp', 'shrewd', 'scheming', 'sly'.
*Kluft*in the sense of 'outfit' started as a Rotwelsch word and goes
back to Hebrew
קִלּוּף *qillûph* 'shell', 'pod', probably assimilated to the other *Kluft*.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

P.S.: If the usual pattern holds and our Pacific Northwest weather drifts
over to the European Lowlands, then brace yourselves, folks, for a heatwave
is headed your way! For us it's been from unseasonably cool to unseasonably
hot. Across the street I can see construction workers slaving away in the
sun. Poor guys!
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