LL-L: "Etymology" LOWLANDS-L, 25.AUG.2001 (02) [D/E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 25.AUG.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Thanks for the fun Flemish/Brabantish song (posted today under "Songs"),
Roger.

> Al onder de weverkens hun getouw,

I take it _getouw_ refers to the weaver's loom.  Some Northern Low Saxon
dialects of Germany have _Tau_ [t`a%U] for 'loom', assumedly a cognate and
assumedly derived from *_getau_ < *_getouwe_, judging by the
Flemish/Brabantish word.  (Northern Low Saxon dropped the prefix _ge-_ from
past participle forms (e.g., _gegaan_ > _gaan_ 'gone') and spread this rule
to even affect nouns, more or less depending on the dialect (e.g.,
_geboort_ > _boort_ 'birth').)

What is the origin of this _getouw_ and _Tau_ in reference to a weaving
loom?  Is it derived from Dutch _touw_ and Low Saxon (Low German) _Tau_
'rope', _getouw_ meaning something like "weaver's rigging"?

_Tau_ 'rope' (which has also been borrowed into German) comes from Middle
Low Saxon _touwe_, and I assume Middle Dutch also had _touwe_.  I had
always assumed that it was related to a verb meaning 'to pull', 'to tow',
but according to the _Herkunftsduden_ it is related to the Middle Low Saxon
verb _touwen_ (Middle (High) German _zouwen_) 'to rig up', 'to set up', 'to
put together' and 'to make', related to Gothic _taujan_ 'to make', 'to do'.

Any other insights or suggestions?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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