LL-L: "Etymology" (was "Folklore") LOWLANDS-L, 28.DEC.2000 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 28.DEC.2000 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Brian Frerichs [frerichs at midwest.net]
Subject: LL-L: "Folklore" LOWLANDS-L, 27.DEC.2000 (01) [E]

Ron, List,

I think you may have, in part, answered my question.  I wrote _Skaskientje_
as it sounded to me, but it may very well have been _Christ-Kindje_.  I will
check on this and let you know.

> At Christmas my grandmother referred to Santa as "Skaskientje", as in "wat
> hett Skaskientje di broch".  Has anyone heard of this term, and if so
could
> you give me a correct or acceptable spelling?
>
> Thank you,
> Brian Frerichs
>
> ----------
>
> From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
> Subject: Folklore
>
> Brian, Lowlanders,
>
> I wasn't sure if I should publish this under "Etymology" or "Folklore."
Much
> depends on which way this will develop.
>
> Brian, you asked about _Skaskientje_ for 'Santa Claus', 'Father
Christmas'.
> Unfortunately, I have never heard of it but am very curious to know about
it.
>
> Let's just clarify something for the rest of the subscribers:
>
> * I am fairly confident it is Low Saxon/Low German you are talking about.
Is
> this correct?

Yes

> * I also assume that your grandmother and you were somewhere in North
America
> at the time.  Right?  If so, in the Midwest?

Yes, Illinois. (East Frisian ancestors)
>
> (I am getting quite interested in special features of North American Low
Saxon
> language and culture.)
>
> This reminds me to ask everyone about the Low Saxon (Low German) name
_Kujees_
> ([k`u'jEIs]?) for 'Santa Claus', 'Father Christmas'.  I found it in
Lindow's
> dictionary.  Apparently it is specific to the Low Saxon/Low German dialect
of
> Finkwarder/Finkenwerder.  (Finkwarder/Finkenwerder is now a part of the
German
> state of Hamborg/Hamburg, started off as a somewhat isolated fishing
village,
> and has a very distinct dialect.)  Lindow says _Kujees_ developed from
> _Kindjees_, corresponding to German _(Christ-)Kind(chen)_ ("Christchild,"
> which especially in Southern Germany is the bringer of Christmas gifts).
> Really?!  Why the seeming plural, and why a long vowel or diphthong?
>
> Regards,
> Reinhard/Ron

----------

From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Etymology

Dear Lowlanders,

A while ago, Sandy Fleming asked:

> Interesting to see the word "Maat" for "fiere" - is this where the
> English (slang?) word "mate" comes from?

Yes, even though Dutch has this word also, pretty much with all the same
shades of meaning and derivations, it is generally believed that English
_mate_, and not only in its "slang" usage, is derived from "Middle Low
German."

_Maat_ was an important word in Middle Low Saxon (Low German).  It meant not
only things like 'companion', 'chum' etc. and also nautical 'sailor' or 'crew
member' (e.g., _Schippsmaat_, _Kocksmaat_, _Decksmaat_ etc.), as it does in
the modern dialects, but in addition it tended to be used to denote something
like 'member of a crew/organization/association' more generally.  You still
get remnants of this in the modern dialects as well, e.g., _Liddmaat_ (cf.
Dutch _lidmaat_) 'member (of an organization)', and _Maatschap(pie)_ (cf.
Dutch _maatschappij_) '(professional/trading) association',
'(professional/trading) organization'.  I have heard people use _Maat_ also in
the sense of _Liddmaat_, namely in the sense of 'member (of an
organization/club)'.  As you can well imagine then, _Maat_ ("a member of a
pair/whole") was a frequently mentioned word, in various shades of meaning, in
the days of the Hanseatic Trading/Shipping League that was represented in all
major North Sea and Baltic Sea ports.

I am not entirely sure about the actual etymology of _Maat_ and if there is
any connection with _Maat_ 'measure'.  The latter word may be used to denote
something like "a certain-sized piece/part of a whole" (as may English
_measure_ as in "a measure of ..."), so I would not be all that surprised if
there was a connection.  Any clues in Dutch etymological sources?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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