LL-L: "Etymology" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 23.JUL.1999 (02)

[Lowlands-L Administrator]

 =========================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 23.JUL.1999 (02) * ISSN 1089-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/~sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 =========================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
 =========================================================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =========================================================================

From: Ian James Parsley [parsley at btinternet.com]
Subject: LL-L: "Etymology" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 23.JUL.1999 (01)

Doug,

"Supper" had already entered the English language by the time of the split with
Scots, around 1300, so I don't think we could properly say it was borrowed into
English from Scots.

It is probable it simply underwent a semantic shift, whereby it came to mean the
main late meal of the day in England and Wales but the last meal of the day
(whether main or not, usually taken later in the evening) in Scotland and
Ireland - this shift may be because lunch tends to be the main meal of the day
in Scotland and Ireland, but the evening meal is more important in England, tho'
there's no guarantee that was always the case. It would make sense though,
because I believe down in the West Country (i.e. SW England) usage tends to
follow that in Scotland and Ireland (so the distinction is not North vs. South
but rather Rural vs. Urban).

Regards,
------------------------------------------------------------
Ian James Parsley.
Co Down, Northern Ireland.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/1677
"JOY - Jesus, Others, You"

==================================END======================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
 ===========================================================================