LL-L: "Help needed" LOWLANDS-L, 10.AUG.2000 (05) [E/German]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 10.AUG.2000 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
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From: HS Brandsma [hsbrand at sloep06.cs.vu.nl]
Subject: LL-L: "Help needed" LOWLANDS-L, 10.AUG.2000 (01) [E/German]

> From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
> Subject: Help needed
>
> Dear Lowlanders,
>
> I keep getting email messages with the same question.  I ought to know the
> answer, because we discussed it a long time ago, but I'm no longer totally
> sure.
>
> Here is the latest message of this sort:
>
> ==Quote==
> ein Freund - er stammt aus Ostfriesland (Edewecht) - befaßt sich mit
> bleiverglasten Fenstern. Er fand unter dem Wappen folgende
> Formulierung:
>                 E ala frya fresena
> Vor Beginn seiner Arbeit möchte er gern die genaue Bedeutung bzw. Über-
> setzung des Textes wissen, denn es könnte ja auch etwas Negatives sein.
> Herzlichen Dank
> Gert Wiedemann, Gehrden bei Hannover
> ==Quote==
>
> In other words, what is the meaning of the Old Frisian motto _E ala frya
> fresena_?  ("... All Free Frisians"?)

It ought to be "Eala fria fresena", but the frya might be ok too.

It means something like "Hail to the free Frisians".
The etymology of "Eala" is somehat unclear, it cannot be "hail"
without h-loss, which is rare in Frisian varieties. It might be
realted to "hallo" in fact, *hail would become *ha:l or *he:l in
Frisian. (it is "heul" in some Westerlauwer varieties, with rounding
of e:)

The "Eala" is still used sometimes in Frisian circles as a puristic
way of using L.S. above letters (Lectori Salutem).
It also features in the title of a sort of well-known West Frisian
nationalistic song.

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