<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">L O W L A N D S - L - 07 December 2007 - Volume 02
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Song Contest: </span><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="http://lowlands-l.net/contest/" target="_blank">
lowlands-l.net/contest/</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> (- 31 Dec. 2007)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">==============================
</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">==============================</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">=============
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: <span style="color: rgb(0, 104, 28);">Luc Hellinckx
</span> <span><<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com" target="_blank">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>></span> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Subject: LL-L "Etymology"<br><br>Beste Heather,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
You wrote:</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> We have a dreadful lurgie go round at the moment: nasty head cold,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> sore throat and bad cough. My daughter married to a Scot has been
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> picking up his way of saying things and was heard last week to remark</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> " You've given me the smits" i.e. you've passed the infection on to me</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> I had never heard this before. Apparently there's 'smittle' as well,
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> meaning infection. Does it have any lowland link?</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"to smittle" is a frequentative of Old English "smitten", "to befoul",</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">which is cognate with Dutch "smet" (= stain (E)) and German "Schmutz".
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Dutch also has the verb "besmetten", "to infect", and the word</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"smetvrees", nosophobia, a (mental) disease that some housewives suffer</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
from.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Strikes me :-D how "to smite" means "to strike" in Flemish/Brabantish
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"smijting" (thrashing), just like it did in Old English. Whereas</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"strijken" is quite the opposite, "to caress" (E), "streicheln" (G). Of</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
course the movement is similar, but the intent isn't.
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Kind greetings,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" color="#888888"><br>Luc Hellinckx<br><br><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">----------</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></font>
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: Joachim Kreimer-de Fries <
</span><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="mailto:Kreimer@jpberlin.de" target="_blank">Kreimer@jpberlin.de</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">><span></span> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: LL-L "Holidays" 2007.12.06 (04) [E,LS, G]</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br>
Moyn trügge,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Reinhard/Ron Hahn quoted from my posting regarding "sünteklaas":
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">>> "Sünt Nümmer ein Heiliger, der nicht existiert; to
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">>> Süntnümmersdage, wan de Sniggen bisset = niemals." (Klöntrup)
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">>> [Saintneverday, when the slugs/snails become randy/lewd/lustful]</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">and commented:</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Are you absolutely sure that that's what it means? Had you not</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> added a translation I would have sworn that it means "... when the
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> snails/slugs run." I would have connected bissen with Northern Low</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Saxon birsen 'to run'.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
No, I'm not absolutly sure. At the first seeing of "bisset" I</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">supposed the same innocent meaning as you tell. But unsure, I looked
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">also after the LS-Westphalian-word "bissen" in Klöntrup and found:</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"bissen</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
vor wild laufen; wird nur von Kühen gebraucht; von Pferden sagt man</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">se wäret löüpsk.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Im Scherz sagt man</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">wän de Sniggen bisset - ad calendas graecas." (Klöntrup)
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Then, to be sure, I found under</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"löüpsk - s. lorsk" and under</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"lorsk s. loren; eene lorske Tiwe eine läufige Hündin, ein</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
mannsüchtiges Mädchen."</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">So, from the association I already have had reading "läüpsk" (G:
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">läufig) and because of that meaning of "löüpsk/lorsk" I concluded the</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"randy/lewd/lustful" (found in Leo's online dictionary as response to</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
"läufig").</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Now finally, after your objection, I look again in Klöntrup under:
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"loren" and read:</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"loren läufisch seyn /:loupsk sin:/; wird nur von Hündinnen</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">gebraucht; von Kühen sagt man in dem Falle bullen und bulsk sin; von</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Ziegen see bücket oder sind bücksk; von Pferden see sind
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">pask /:pagisk, von Page ein Pferd, Hengst:/." (all Klöntrup)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Therefore you may well be right, because sniggen [snails/slugs]</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">aren't bitches or she-dogs. On the other hand...</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway, it's funny to find the "Süntnümmersdag" and come to such
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">ambiguity while talking about Santa Claus...</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Keep honest,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Joachim Kreimer-de Fries</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: R. F. Hahn <</span><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">
sassisch@yahoo.com</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">><br>Subject: Etymology</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Hi, Joachim, and thanks.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I understood the connection between "running" and "being in heat" right away. I believe the writer of that entry may have jumped the gun in making the meaning of "to be in heat" (of cows) the overriding meaning, or that he worded the entry in such a way that one interprets it that way.
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I still believe the basic (as well as original) meaning of
</span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">bissen</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> is 'to run', as is the case with the cognate </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
birsen</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> in the northern dialects of Low Saxon. The meaning "to be in heat" is derivative and specific with reference to cows (in the sense of "to run around," and other words for "to run" in Low Saxon and German for "to be in heat" of other animals is not really pertinent to my point).
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">What </span><u style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
is</u><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> my point really? Snails are notoriously and proverbially slow; they creep, slide along ... When you say, "when snails run" meaning "never in a million years" (or "when pigs fly") you are referring to the opposite. Get it? I don't for a second think that "to be in heat" enters the picture here.
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Kumpelmenten in't Huus!</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Reinhard/Ron</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: <span style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">
Kevin & Cheryl Caldwell
</span> <span><<a href="mailto:kevin.caldwell1963@verizon.net" target="_blank">kevin.caldwell1963@verizon.net</a>></span><br>Subject:
LL-L "Etymology" 2007.12.06 (07) [E]</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<div link="blue" vlink="blue" lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Hmm. Any connection to 'smut', perhaps?</span></font></p>
<p><b><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy; font-weight: bold;">smut</span></font></b><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">
</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Function: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">noun</span></i>
</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Date: 1664 </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">1<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></b> matter
that soils or blackens; <i><span style="font-style: italic;">specifically</span></i>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></b> a particle of soot 2<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></b> any of various destructive diseases
especially of cereal grasses caused by parasitic basidiomycetous fungi (order Ustilaginales)
and marked by transformation of plant parts into dark masses of spores; <i><span style="font-style: italic;">also</span></i> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></b> a
fungus causing a smut 3<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></b> obscene
language or matter</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Function: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">verb</span></i>
</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Etymology: probably alteration of earlier <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smot</span></i> to stain, from Middle English
<i><span style="font-style: italic;">smotten;</span></i> akin to Middle High German <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smutzen</span></i> to stain </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Date: 1587 </span></font></p>
<p><i><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy; font-style: italic;">transitive
verb</span></font></i><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;"> 1 <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></b> to stain or taint with smut 2 <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">
:</span></b> to affect (a crop or plant) with smut
</span></font></p>
<p><i><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy; font-style: italic;">intransitive
verb</span></font></i><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;"> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></b> to become affected by smut </span></font></p>
<font color="#888888">
<p><font color="navy" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Kevin Caldwell</span></font></p></font><div>
<div style="border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color blue; border-width: medium medium medium 1.5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 4pt;">
<p><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">From: R. F. Hahn <</span></font><a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">
sassisch@yahoo.com</a> ></p>
<div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Subject: Etymology<br>
<br>
Heather:</span></font></p>
<div style="margin-left: 30pt;">
<p><font color="#000099" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Is it allowed to satrt
a new etymological question under the same heading.</span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But of course, Heather!</span></font></p>
<div style="margin-left: 30pt;">
<p><font color="#000099" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">You've given me the
smits</span></font></p>
</div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The first candidate that came to my little mind is related to "smite"
and "smitten". "Smitten by the malady" perhaps? <br>
<br>
Note: "to smite" = "to infect", "to pass on (an
illness)" besides "to strike": <br>
<br>
Old English: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smítan</span></i> (> 'to
strike')<br>
Old Frisian: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smîta</span></i> (> <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smite</span></i> 'to throw')<br>
Middle Saxon: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smîten</span></i> (> <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smieten</span></i> 'to throw')<br>
Middle Dutch: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smiten </span></i>(<i><span style="font-style: italic;">> smijten</span></i> 'to throw')<i><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>
</span></i>Old German: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smîzan</span></i></span></font>
(also 'to smear', 'to smudge',
'to contaminate' > <i><span style="font-style: italic;">schmeißen</span></i>
'to throw')<br>
Gothic:<i><span style="font-style: italic;"> -smeitan</span></i> (also 'to
smear', 'to smudge', 'to contaminate')<br>
<br>
Old English: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smitte</span></i> (> <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smit</span></i> ) 'spot', 'stain'<br>
Middle Saxon: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smette, smitte, smit</span></i><br>
Middle Dutch: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smette, smitte, smit </span></i><br>
Middle German: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">smiz</span></i> (> dial. <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Schmitz</span></i>, related to <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Schmutz</span></i>
'dirt')<br>
<br>
I hope you got unsmitten by now.<br>
<br>
Best wishes,<br>
Reinhard/Ron</p></div></div></div></div></div><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(91, 16, 148);">Mark Dreyer</span> <span class="lDACoc">
<<a href="mailto:mrdreyer@lantic.net">mrdreyer@lantic.net</a>></span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br>Subject:
LL-L "Etymology" 2007.12.06 (07) [E]<br><br></span><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Dear Heather &
Ron:</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: LL-L
"Etymology"</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="Ih2E3d">We have a dreadful lurgie go
round at the moment: nasty head cold, sore throat and bad cough. My daughter
married to a Scot has been picking up his way of saying things and was heard
last week to remark " You've given me the smits" i.e. you've passed the
infection on to me<br><br>I had never heard this before.
Apparently there's 'smittle' as well, meaning infection. Does it have any
lowland link? <br><br></div>From Ron:</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="Ih2E3d">
<div>The first candidate
that came to my little mind is related to "smite" and "smitten". "Smitten by the
malady" perhaps?</div>
<div> </div></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From me:</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">How about 'smut'?
Chambers Etymological Dictionary, "A spot of dirt, soot, foul matter, a
disease of corn (wheat) &c."</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Thinking Scots, a
book I read made a grue run up my back, called 'Famine in the Wind'.
Anybody concerned for Humanity's future should read it... Anyway, before rye was
the staple it briefly became (pre-potato) throughout Central Europe, there
was only barley & wheat. Then came the smut & with it, famine. The book
says it was a name common in its variants (like the murrain) throughout
Europe.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Then there is the
family name 'Smuts', not unknown in this country.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The sound 'U' in
Afrikaans at least is a rounded schwa, unlike the way that letter is pronounced
either in RP English (a low central vowel) or in the more Northern dialects
(high back, that makes the vowel in 'luck' sound closer to that in
'book').</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I can believe the
'smuts' & the 'smits' being the same word pronounced the same way. This to
my mind doesn't detract from its associations with 'smite'. Words carry
associations with them, not only from their etymological derivatives but from
similar sounding words with enriching meaning of their own. This is one of
the most creative tools in the poet's chest (yes). </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Yrs,</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Mark<br><br></div><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">