LL-L "Etymology" 2009.06.29 (02) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 29 June 2009 - Volume 02
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From: Diederik Masure <didimasure at hotmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2009.06.28 (03) [EN]

Paul:
 RE mucker, at least Dutch knows 'makker', not sure about the etymology but
it doesn't look like a loanword, or a very old one. It means something like
"buddy".

Greets,
Diederik

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

Paul, Lowlanders,

German *Macker* comes from Missingsch which has it from Low Saxon.

Old Saxon has *mako* (pronounced like *macko*) 'companion' which appears to
go back to the same Indo-European root **maĝ-* from which the "make" group
comes. Apart from "make" it also means "knead", "squeeze", "stroke". So
perhaps a *Macker* was originally someone you hugged and petted.

Old Saxon **makār *is not attested in the literature but *makārin *~ *
makirin* is, a female **makār* "maker" or "doer", namely a go-between or
matchmaker.

I imagin that **makār* did exist and that, aside from "maker", it could have
been the "hugger" and "petter" while *mako* was the "huggee" and "pettee"
... ;-) Who says them Old Saxons weren't of the touchy, feely, hugging type?

Seriously though, I find it interesting that the word group "make" also
connoted "knead". I wonder if this has something to do with making pottery.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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