<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">L O W L A N D S - L - 11 September 2007 - Volume 06</span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Song Contest: <a href="http://lowlands-l.net/contest/">lowlands-l.net/contest/</a> (- 31 Dec. 2007)</span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
=========================================================================</span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">From: </span>
<span id="_user_roepstem@hotmail.com" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 96); font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Marcel Bas</span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: arial,sans-serif;" class="lg"> <<a href="mailto:roepstem@hotmail.com">
roepstem@hotmail.com</a>></span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2007.09.11 (02) [E]</span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<blockquote style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">Hello everyone,</span></font><br>
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"></span></font> <br>
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">Ron, you wrote:</span></font><br></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" class="q"><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">
<br>>Low Saxon has the word <span style="font-style: italic;">dol</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">doll</span> < <span style="font-style: italic;">dolle</span>) which originally meant </span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">'crazy', 'crazed', 'raging'</span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">
and now >also (and in some dialects only) means 'strongly', 'very much', 'very'. Dutch <span style="font-style: italic;">dol</span>
still means 'crazy', >'crazed', 'raging'. They are clearly related
to English "dull". (How's that for semantic divergence?) <br><br>>Low Saxon <span style="font-style: italic;">doll</span> ended up in Missingsch and then in casual Northern German with the meaning</span>
</font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"> >'strongly', 'very much', 'very'.</span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"> Its German cognate is <span style="font-style: italic;">toll</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">d</span> > <span style="font-style: italic;">t</span>,
<span style="font-style: italic;">t</span> > <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ts</span></span>), originally meaning</span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"> 'crazy', >'crazed', 'raging' but nowadays being used more in the extended sense of 'great' (!). This is how <span style="font-style: italic;">
doll</span> >and <span style="font-style: italic;">toll</span> came to coexist in the same language varieties.<br></span></font><br></span>
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">In Dutch, a diminutive plural form exists: <em>dolletjes</em>. This means 'great,'like in German. Usually women would use the word.
</span></font><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"></span></font><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">I have found no specfic meanings in Carinthian, 'Austrian' and zürcher Schwyzertüütsch.
</span></font><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"></span></font><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">Best regards,</span></font><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"></span></font> <br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">Marcel. <br></span></font><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">From: </span><span id="_user_desnerck.roland@skynet.be" style="color: rgb(0, 131, 145); font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
Roland Desnerck</span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: arial,sans-serif;" class="lg"> <<a href="mailto:desnerck.roland@skynet.be">desnerck.roland@skynet.be</a>></span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2007.09.11 (02) [E]</span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Beste Ron, beste Lowlanders,</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">In het Oostends kennen we: "dul" = boos, kwaad,
vertoornd (angry) en vele rijmpjes daarmee:</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">- zie je dul? sjhiet je broek vul!</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">- zie je dul? pist up e blow stintsje (nota: e
blowe stain = arduin);</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">- zie je dul? kakt mul!</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">- zie je dul? sjhiet je broek vul zagemul,
enz.</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">We kenne ook een toevoeging van "en holf" om een
soort comparatief te vormen:</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">z' is zie dullenholf: ze is erg boos;</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">z' is zie stoetenholf, z' is droevenholf: ze is
zeer stout;</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">z' is zie zottenholf: ze is wat zotjes, wat
uitgelaten;</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">z' is zie snéllenholf: ze is zeer
mooi;</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">z' is zie frankenholf: ze is onbeschoft (z' hé zie
e frank blad)</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">ze kwaam zie stéppenholf: ze kwam haastig
gestapt;</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">In het Nederlands kennen we ook: ze is dol gelukkig
= ze is zeer gelukkig!</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Asjhepoester: heeft bij ons een "lange
oe"...;</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">"poester" heeft bij ons twee
betekenissen:</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">- varkenshoeder, koeienknecht
(koejepoester)</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">- koffie met sterke drank (kon je als visser
bekomen in een "poesterkafee"</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Ron, Interessant is misschien wel - in verband met
"as blazen: Assepoester" - dat even uitblazen bij ons als werkwoord
"verpoestern"</font> <font size="2">is!</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Toetnoasteki,</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Roland Desnerck, Oostende,
West-Vlaanderen</font> <br></div><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">From: R. F. Hahn <<a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
sassisch@yahoo.com</a>><br>Subject: Etymology<br><br>Bedankt, mannen!<br><br>Dear Roland, this is really interesting information about </span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">
Western Flemisch</span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"> <span style="font-style: italic;">poester</span> (which would be written
<span style="font-style: italic;">Puuster</span> in Germany) in relation to Low Saxon <span style="font-style: italic;">Aschenpüüstersch</span> and Western Flemish <span style="font-style: italic;">Asjhepoester</span> (which would be spelled
<span style="font-style: italic;">Aschepuuster</span> in Germany), all meaning Cinderella.<br><br>Let me rephrase what you shared.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">poester</span>:<br></span></font><ul style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<li>swineherd, cowherd (also <span style="font-style: italic;">koejepoester</span> "cow <span style="font-style: italic;">poester</span>")</li><li>coffee with a shot of liquor (also <span style="font-style: italic;">
poesterkafee</span> "<span style="font-style: italic;">poester</span> coffee")</li></ul><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">In Low Saxon, a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
Püüster</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> means "blower" and may be used to mean "bellows" or "flint" (which you have to blow on when there are sparks). This is why I thought
</span><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">Aschenpüüstersch</span> means "ash blower."</span>
</font><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">However</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">, now that you mentioned those Western Flemish words with
</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">poester</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> I'm reminded that there's also the Low Saxon word </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
Grapenpüüster</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> (literally "saucepan </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">püüster</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
") meaning '(female) cook' in the sense of "cooking servant" (besides the word </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Kööksch</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
.</span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">So now it looks as though this </span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
Püüster<span style="font-style: italic;"> ~ </span>poester</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> originally meant something like "servant (in a household or on a farm)," and </span><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">Aschenpüüstersch</span> really means something like "servant girl of the ashes (= hearth)."<br><br>So comparing notes between language varieties does make things easier, doesn't it?
<br><br>I wonder what the origin of this word is and if (Schleswig-Holstein) Low Saxon <span style="font-style: italic;">Past</span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">
<span style="font-style: italic;">ü</span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">ür</span>
~ <span style="font-style: italic;">Post</span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">
ü</span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">ür</span> 'unpleasant person', 'mean woman' has anything to do with it. About this word I hazard to guess that it was ultimately derived from Latin
<span style="font-style: italic;">pastor</span> via French <span style="font-style: italic;">pasteur</span> 'shepherd'. (øyr > y:r is a widespread Northern rule.) Maybe originally </span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">Past</span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">
<span style="font-style: italic;">ü</span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">ür</span>
~ <span style="font-style: italic;">Post</span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">
ü</span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;">ür </span></span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA">denoted a servant that worked outside and with animals as opposed to a servant that worked inside the house, and later it came to denote any servant that performed menial, dirty jobs, and finally it came to denote an unmannered, "nasty" person. This is just an off-the-cuff theory.
</span></font><font style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" color="black" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br><br>Thanks again for the lead, Roland!
<br><br>Regards,<br>Reinhard/Ron<br><br>P.S.: Please spare a thought for those that perished in New York City six years ago today and for those they left behind.<br> </span></font>