LL-L: "Etymology" (was "Help needed") LOWLANDS-L, 23.SEP.2000 (05) [E]

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

Dear Lowlanders!

Lone and I wrote:

> Would "to lurk" not be of the same origin as
> "lure(n)"?
>
> The etymology of English _lurk_ seems to be unclear.  Personally, I favor

> the notion that it comes from the same root as /luur/ with the
frequentive
> /-k/ suffix as also found for instance in _talk_ whose root is related to

> _tale_ and _tell_.

The actual English cognate of Low Saxon (Low German), South Jutish and
Danish /luur-/ appears to be the rarely used (archaic?) word "lour" ~
"lower" [laU@(r)].  Sound-shift-wise it certainly fits, as does German
_lauern_ (/uu/ -> /au/; cf. LS _Huus_, Scots _hoose_, English "house",
German _Haus_).  "Lour" ~ "lower" is not known to go back farther than to
the Middle English stage (_loure_).  Its meaning is 'look sullen', 'frown',
'scowl'.  This seems a bit far-fetched considering the meaning of the Low
Saxon, South Jutish and Danish cognates ('lie in ambush', 'look around
secretly', 'lurk', 'lie in wait', 'await eagerly and quietly', 'act by
stealth', 'dupe', 'trick', 'cheat', etc.).  However, the picture changes
once we consider the range of meaning of what seems to be the Scots cognate
_lour_ [lur]: 'frown', 'look threatening', 'cower', 'crouch', 'skulk',
'lurk'.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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