LL-L "Etymology" 2002.12.03 (03) [E]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 03.DEC.2002 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: burgdal32admin burgdal32 at pandora.be
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2002.11.28 (02) [E]

> From: W. Jaap Engelsman <engelsma at euronet.nl>
> Subject: etymology / vocabulary
>
> Dear Lowlanders,
>
> In Shakespeare's "Hamlet" occurs an exclamation which seems to be
> unique. In
> Act I, Scene 5, line 164, 166, or 172 (depending on the edition), where
> Hamlet and Horatio are following the ghost, Horatio exclaims:
>
> O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!
>
> This appears to be simply an expression of amazement, although it is
> not
> clear whether "day" and "night" are intended in the sense of parts of a
> period of twenty-four hours, or in the senses 'light' and 'darkness'.
> (But
> the nearest relatives in Shakespeare appear to be swearing
> exclamations such
> as "by this day" and "by this light".)
> Can anybody tell me anything about this exclamation, its meaning and
> origin?
> Was it borrowed from another language, perhaps?
>
> Jaap Engelsman
Dag Jaap,

We do use the term  "dag en nacht" frequently  , meaning : altijd
(weer).
We also have: bij dage en bij nachte  (ij = [i])
Groetjes
Luc Vanbrabant
Oekene

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From: R. F. Hahn <admin at lowlands-l.net>
Subject: Etymology

Jaap,

Like Luc (above), I have been pondering the famous phrase "O day and night,
but this is wondrous strange!" ever since you asked about it.  I have always
assumed, and I stay with this assumption or hunch (until something better
comes along) that it is a case of taboo replacement of Shakespeare's time
that later got lost in later common speech.  What I have in mind is
avoidance of blasphemy ("using the Lord's name in vain"), something along
the lines of "Golly!" or "Gosh!" replacing "God!", "Oh, dear (me)!"
replacing "Oh, dear God!", "Jee(z)!" replacing "Jesus!", "bloody ...!"
replacing "by our Lady!", etc.  Perhaps "O, day and night!" replaced
something like "Oh, dear God!" at the time.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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