LL-L: "Etymology" LOWLANDS-L, 23.FEB.2001 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 23.FEB.2001 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
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From: Margaret Tarbet [oneko at mindspring.com]
Subject: Etymology

On Fri, 23 Feb 2001 15:02:28 -0800, Ron wrote:

>This reminds me of American English 'to dunk' in the sense of 'to dip (an
>object in liquid)', hence also American 'dunking for apples' and 'apple
>dunking' where non-American has 'ducking for apples' and Scots has 'dookin
>aiples'.

Have you actually heard 'dunking for apples', Ron (or anyone)?  I've
never.  'Bobbing' and 'ducking'/'dookin', yes, but never 'dunking'.
I only know 'dunk' as a transitive verb, and always in connection
with Germanic culture and coffee (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa,
Minnesota,Texas hill country).   Anything else (e.g., bread in gravy
or soup, etc.) has always been 'dip', or if in the sense of
'drench':  'sop'/'soop' or 'soak'/'sook'.

>'Dunk' *is* American, isn't it?

I'd almost bet not, just remembering where it was popular before the
telly homogenised everything.  Or if it is American, it's
Lowlandic-American.

Margaret

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

Margaret wrote:

> Have you actually heard 'dunking for apples', Ron (or anyone)?

I have indeed, though I agree that it seems a bit strange, so I wonder if it
has been "contaminated" by non-American "ducking for apples."  Yes, usually
'to dunk' is transitive (as in "Dunkin' Donuts"), but perhaps it can be both
transitive and intransitive, as can Low Saxon _duken_ and German _tauchen_
(though transitively they tend to have the prefixes _in-_ and _ein-_
respectively).

A cursory web search brought up "dunking for apples" at these sites among
others:

http://halloweenfreak.homepage.com/halloween4.html
http://ashland-city.k12.oh.us/ahs/classes/panorama/97-10-17/pg2.html
http://132.183.145.103/forum_2/LandauKleffnerSynF/HavinofallthingsFUN.html
http://www.bsaboston.org/happening/familycamp.html
http://members.tripod.com/~SNE/bmc.htm

Go figure!

Reinhard/Ron

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