<div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">===========================================<br>L O W L A N D S - L - 23 November 2009 - Volume 03<br style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><a href="mailto:lowlands.list@gmail.com">lowlands.list@gmail.com</a> - <a href="http://lowlands-l.net/">http://lowlands-l.net/</a></span><br style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">
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===========================================<br></div><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="gI"><span class="gD" style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">Wolfram Antepohl</span> <span class="go"><<a href="mailto:wolfram@antepohl.se">wolfram@antepohl.se</a>></span></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="gI">LL-L "Etymology" 2009.11.23 (01) [EN]<br><br></span><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" face="Arial">Ron, there is
actually an almmost identical folk etymology concerning a town called
“Altena” (where the world’s first youth hostel was established in the
local castle) in the “Sauerland” (LS: Suerland). It is said that the
local count asked the burgers in spe to mark the place for a town in
the vicinity of the castle. The place they chose turned out to be “Al
te na” for his taste. Another story tells us that it was the count of
Arnsberg who found the castle of Altena to be all to close to his own
fortress (And there seem to be etymologists who consider this to be the
“right” explanation). Another “official” explanation is also
interesting from a LL-perspective: The ancestors of the Counts of
Altena had probably come first to the Rhineland and then to Westphalia
from Brabant where another “Altena” can be found. Concerning my own
home town of “Lüdenscheid” we may or may not believe that another count
from the same family was annoyed by his subjects’ inability to decide
where they wanted to build the city. Finally he told them “Lüd
entscheid’” (Make your decision, folks).<br>
<br>
Greetings<br>
<br>
Wolfram<div class="im"><br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">From: R. F. Hahn <<a href="http://sassisch@yahoo.com/" target="_blank">sassisch@yahoo.com</a>><br>
Subject: Resources<br><br>
This reminds me of what I assume is folk etymology of the name of the city (now a part of Hamburg) of Altona in Germany. <br><br>
Founded as a fishing village in 1535, Altona was given city rights by
Denmark's King Frederik III in 1664. It played an important role as a
Danish city that could be reached from Hamburg's city walls by just a
short. Altona used to house a major Jewish community. Because Hamburg
severely restricted the number of resident Jews until 1864 (with one
break: 1811-1815), most Jews lived in Altona and worked in Hamburg
which was sometimes independent and sometimes under Prussian power.<br><br>
Anyway, I have heard stories about a child or a blind person having to
mark the town's border, or Hamburg's border, or someone was to do so by
throwing something or other, and then the Low Saxon reaction was "Al to
nah!" ("All too near!"). Or was it that people used to say that Altona
was "Al to nah" from Hamburg?<br><br>
Main stress is on the first syllable of the name, by the way, unlike
all those American places called Altona and Altoona that are stressed
on the second syllable. The phrase "Al to nah" has stress on the last
syllable.<br><br>
Anyway, does anyone know anything about these etymological theories and what seems to be the true one?<br><br>
I have also heard that the city may have been named after a brook
called Altenau (Alten-au), which would pan out stress-wise. Also, there
is an Altona Manor in Eldena, near Ludwigslust in Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania. Altona and Eldena may well be related names.<br><br>
Regards,<br>
Reinhard/Ron<br>
Seattle, USA</div>
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