LL-L "Etymology" 2009.06.07 (04) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 07 June 2009 - Volume 04
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From: Hellinckx Luc <luc.hellinckx at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Morphology"

Beste Ron,
You wrote:

I am not suggesting that we should automatically assume Slavic origin when
words and suffixes are unique to Germanic varieties used in formerly
Slavic-speaking regions. But the *-ink ~ -ing* of Mecklenburg has an
overridingly endearing quality like Slavic *-inka*, and it is used just like
it. Furthermore, its western boundary pretty much coincides with that of the
former western boundary of Slavic varieties.

Slavic -inka is a curious suffix. There is so much similarity (both
morphologically and semantically) with Germanic -in, used to make a noun
feminine plus the diminutive -ken; the combination then has an endearing
effect of course. Hard to believe there has never been any mutual influence.
Radiation from West to East? Common root on a PIE-level?
Come to think of it...any idea whether Turkic "kara" and Russian черный for
"black" could be related on an even higher level? Possible connection with
Lowlands: harder (fish living in the Atlantic...Mugil curema...German
Äsche).

Kind greetings,

Luc Hellinckx

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

I'm collapsing "Etymology" and "Morphology" because they seem to be
converging.

Luc, I agree that it gets kind of "weird" when you look across language
group boundaries for morphological commonalities. Actually, I'm pretty sure
that in many such cases we are talking about connections on an Indo-European
level. For instance, there is the Iranian approximative-diminutive *-ča*,
borrowed into Turkic, sometimes as *-(i)nča*, which seems suspiciously like
*-ka* and *-inka*.

And, yes, things often continue across family boundaries, both as far as
roots and affixes are concerned, and the personal pronouns in Indo-European,
Uralic and Altaic start looking very much alike when you "boil them down."
No wonder people like Ilyich-Svitich postulated larger families. But for
decades isolationist researchers have been dismissing anything promising as
due to contacts, even within what to most people are definitely families
(such as Altaic). The thing is that such possible connections seem to go so
far back that proving them is pretty much impossible.

By the way, Luc, am I on the right track when I etymologize your last name
(Hellinckx) as Halle+ing+s(e)? That's where the "person of ..." suffix *-ing
* is that Paul mentioned. You still live in Halle (Belgium), don't you? No
wonder you tend to get cabin fever and feel the need to go on very long
"exotic" tours once in a while. ;-)

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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