LL-L: "Etymology" LOWLANDS-L, 30.NOV.2000 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

 ======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 30.NOV.2000 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * 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>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
 =======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic, Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
 =======================================================================

From: niels winther [niels.winther at dfds.dk]
Subject: etymology

Ron wrote:
> Dear Lowlanders,
> Yesterday I inquired about the Low Saxon (Low German) word _katerdellen_ 'to
> weave or braid using four strands', and I suspected that it contains the
> French word _quatre_ 'four'.  Henry replied that he believed I could be on to
> something there and that in his Twente dialect (Netherlands) _drellen_ denotes
> something like 'to twist (stands) together'.  Above, Reiner wrote that in his
> Westphalian dialect a _Kardeel_ is a part of a rope.
> Might this be connected with _quadrille_, perhaps as folk etymology?

A piece of rope which is tapering towards the free end,
either because it is a whip or because it shall be used for threading through
a snugly fitting hole, is catted in Danish (kattet).
To cat (at katte) means taking out strands of the single cord (kordel) and
treating the free end (tampen) in such a way that there is no bulging knot
and at the same time prohibiting the loosening and wear of the free end.
Also think of the expression cat o' nine tails.

rgds
niels

----------

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

Thanks for the technical explanation, Niels.  You sound like you've made a
rope or two yourself or are an experienced boater.

Danish          Low Saxon (Low German)

kordel          Kordel (feminine)
tampen          Tampen (masculine)

_Tampen_ (plural _Tampens_) tends to denote a very thick rope used on ships.

I am not sure if _Katt_ ('cat') can also be used to denote a type of whip, but
I assume it could in older varieties.  (I'm sort of sure _Katze_ can in
German.)  Nor do I know if there is or ever used to be a verb *_katten_.  Does
anyone else know?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

==================================END===================================
 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>.
 =======================================================================
 * 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
 =======================================================================