LL-L "Etymology" 2001.11.25 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 25.NOV.2001 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Ole Stig Andersen <osa at olestig.dk>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2001.11.24 (02) [E]

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Etymology
>
> Ole Stig wrote:
>
>> In Danish "bie" (possibly also written "bide") means "wait". It is not an
>> active word any more. I remember it from my Jutish childhood as an old > word
>> found in poems and hymns. It has a distinctively Jutish and archaic and
>> rural feel.
>
> In Icelandic, _bíða_ is still the usual word for 'to wait' (Faroese
> *_biða_?).
>
> As someone already mentioned, Old High German has _bîtan_.  It also has
> _enbîtan_.  I believe the former is intransitive ('to wait', Modern
> German _warten_), and the latter is transitive ('to await', to expect',
> Modern German _erwarten_), as in the famous medieval love song:
>
> Chume, chum, geselle mîn,
> ih enbîte harte dîn,
> ih enbîte harte dîn,
> chume, chum, geselle mîn.
>
> Come, come, my consort!
> I await you eagerly.
> I await you eagerly.
> Come, come, my consort!
>
> Old Saxon has _bîdan_ (or is it *_bîðan_?).  However, I am not aware of
> it having survived in Modern Low Saxon (Low German) dialects.  I would
> expect *_bieden_ or *_bien_.  Does anyone know of such a form in the
> modern dialects?
>
> Regards,
> Reinhard/Ron

Could there be an etymological connection to the West Germanic
preposition
_by/bij/bei_?

There certainly seems to be a possible metaphorical connection between
_wait_ and _by_. Not?

Regards

Ole Stig Andersen
osa at olestig.dk
http://www.olestig.dk

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From: Edwin Alexander <edsells at idirect.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2001.11.24 (02) [E]

I am quite curious about the roots of English "bide" and "abide".  My
little Claiborne (The Roots of English) suggests it may descend from IE
BHEIDH, from which may also descend Latin fidere (> English "confident",
"faith", "affidavit", etc. etc.) as well as another relative in Latin
foedus, foeder (> English "federal", "confederate", etc.)

Casting about in Monier Williams Sanskrit dictionary, I find that M-W
considers that foedus, foeder are the Sk relatives of bandh, > English
"bind".

It does seem that the English "abide" probably descends from AS "bidan",
but then the "trail goes cold."

As a matter of pure speculation, I wonder if perhaps there is originally
a common root for English "bide" and "bind"?  I am thinking of the
modern English expression, "to be tied down at home" as an example.  I
know this is perhaps a bit of a stretch, but does anyone else have any
better suggestions

Ed Alexander

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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Etymology"

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Etymology
>
> Ole Stig wrote:
>
> > In Danish "bie" (possibly also written "bide") means "wait". It
> is not an
> > active word any more. I remember it from my Jutish childhood as
> an old > word
> > found in poems and hymns. It has a distinctively Jutish and archaic and
> > rural feel.
>
> In Icelandic, _ba_ is still the usual word for 'to wait' (Faroese
> *_bia_?).
>
> As someone already mentioned, Old High German has _btan_.  It also has
> _enbtan_.  I believe the former is intransitive ('to wait', Modern
> German _warten_), and the latter is transitive ('to await', to expect',
> Modern German _erwarten_), as in the famous medieval love song:

I'm not sure if this is too obvious to mention or if it just seems
obvious to me, but "bide" [b at id] is a very common word in modern
Scots, meaning to "stay", "dwell", "remain" (though not actually
"wait").

It also has less common uses to do with heartache and patience, eg
a "bide" can mean a lasting heartache, or to "bide" something can
mean to suffer it patiently.

Past tense form is "bade" [be:d] or "bid" [bId], though these days
you will also hear the weak form "bidit" ['b at idI?].

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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