LL-L "Etymology" 2008.10.31 (04) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 31 October 2008 - Volume 04
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From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology"

Beste Jonny,



You wrote:



today I learned the Dutch word 'duivenmelker', E: 'pigeon fancier', G:
'Brieftauben-Züchter'.



Wondering about the 'melker' ('milker') within this word I made some more
investigations and found out that they really don't milk their birds but
formerly made some good profit in making bets on them - e.g. which one would
arrive as the first one and so on. So 'money flew like milk'??



What's your opinion, dear neighbours in the West? Is it the correct
explanation for the origin of the word?



I seem to recall that we already dealt with this question somewhere in the
past. Which doesn't mean that everything was said back then and there of
course *s*.



Kind greetings,



Luc Hellinckx
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