LL-L "Etymology" 2009.08.08 (01) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

===========================================
L O W L A N D S - L - 08 August 2009 - Volume 01
lowlands at lowlands-l.net - http://lowlands-l.net/
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-08)
Language Codes: lowlands-l.net/codes.php
===========================================

From: R. F. Hahn
<sassisch at yahoo.com<http://uk.mc264.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=sassisch@yahoo.com>
>
Subject: Etymology

Dear Lowlanders,

I am wondering if Dutch *vaak* and Low Saxon *faken ~ vaken ~ faak ~
vaak*for 'often' have spread from Frisian substrata in these
languages.

Old English: *oft, oftrǽde, þiclīce*
Modern English: *often**, frequently*

Old German: *ofto, oftlīhho, dikki, dikko*
Modern German: *oft*,* **oftmals*

Old Frisian: *faken, ofta, oftalik*
Modern W. Frisian: *faak, faken, fakentiden
*Modern N. Frisian: *fäk*

Old Low Frankish: *thikko*
Middle Dutch: *vaeken*
Modern Dutch: *vaak**, dikwijls***
Afrikaans: *dikwels*
Limburgish: *dèk, dèks*

Old Saxon: *oft*,* **ofto*
Middle Saxon: *vake, vakene**, offten*
Modern Low Saxon: * faken ~ vaken ~ faak ~ vaak**, oftins, öftins

*Gothic:* ufta
*
Old Norse: *opt*
Modern Icelandic: *oft, oftlega*
Modern Faroese: *ofta*
Dano-Norwegian: *ofte*
Modern Danish: *ofte*
Neo-Norwegian: *ofte**
*Modern Swedish: *ofta****
*
What might the etymology of the *faak** *group be? It seems to be specific
to the Frisian-Dutch-Saxon group.

The *thik* group (which may be etymologically related to the modern "thick"
group) seems to be specific to the Frankish group but is also represented in
Old English.

The *oft* group appears to be common to all but the Low Frankish group of
language varieties. It may well be etymologically connected with word groups
like "over" (thus "excessive(ly)") and German *üppig* 'abundant', 'ample',
'copious', 'profuse'.

Thanks in advance.

Reinhard/Ron
Seatt;e, USA

•

==============================END===================================

 * Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.

 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.

 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.

 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")

   are to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at

   http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.

*********************************************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20090808/3d5a4497/attachment.htm>