LL-L "Etymology" 2002.03.27 (10) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 27.MAR.2002 (10) * 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: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Dear Lowlanders,

I have been wondering about Scots _airt_ (pronunciation [ert]?) in the
sense of "place" as used in the Scots version of our welcoming page
(_the airt at ye byde_ 'your abode', 'your place of residence').  Before
checking reference material, I could not think of a Standard English
cognate, but immediately the following came to mind:

German _Ort_ 'place', 'spot' (> _Wohnort_ 'dwelling place', 'abode',
'place of residence', _wohnen_ 'to dwell', 'to reside')

Low Saxon (Low German) /o(o)rd/ (usually [and unfortunately] written
<Oort> in Germany) 'place', 'spot' (plural /ö(ö)rd(e(r))/, usually
written <Öör>, <Öörd>, <Öörde>, <Öörder>)

Dutch (stilted) _oord_ 'place', 'region', 'area'

Afrikaans _oord_ 'place', 'region', 'area', 'resort'

When I checked _airt_ in _Chambers Concise Scots Dictionary_, I was at
first somewhat baffled when I found the verbal meanings _to direct', 'to
guide (a person) to a place', 'to set (something) facing or moving in a
certain direction', the nominal meanings 'a point of the compass', 'a
quarter, direction, way, manner', and the derivation _airtan(s)_ (~
_airtins_?) 'direction', 'tendency'.  Northern Middle English _art_ is
shown as related to it.  Its origin is said to be obscure: "may be
derived f OSc, ME _art_ constrain, force."

The _Herkunftsduden_, a German etymological dictionary, traces _Ort_
back to Middle and Old High German _ort_ 'point (especially of a weapon
or tool)', 'endpoint', 'extreme', 'edge', 'neck (of land)', 'place', and
it lists as related Dutch _oord_, Old English _ord_ 'point', 'spear',
and Swedish _udd_ 'point', 'spike', and as their common reconstructed
origin Germanic *_uzda-_ 'point', probably related to Albanian _usht_
'point' and Lithuanian _usmìs_ 'thistle'.  The writer also points to the
German specialist jargon term _Ort_ as 'awl' (_Ahle_ or _Pfriem_ in
common German), thus a pointed tool.

This group of cognates seems to have semantically migrated from the idea
of "point(ed) end" to the idea of "place," probably via the ideas of
"direction" and "destination" (of a weapon?).  Scots nominal and verbal
_airt_ appears to retain the entire semantic spectrum.  When I pondered
and checked a little further, I realized that Low Saxon, too, retains
most of it: besides 'place', and probably predating this meaning, it can
also denote '(recessed) corner', 'pointed place', 'point (of land)'.

Low Saxon _Oort_ ought not be confused with Low Saxon _Oort_ ~ _Aart_
(/aart/) 'manner', 'way', the latter of which is related to German _Art_
(same meaning), both of whose earlier meanings was 'origin',
'(genealogical) descent', 'ancestry'.  The origin of _Art_ is in the
_Herkunftsduden_ said to be obscure, possibly linked with Old High
German _art_ 'agriculture', Middle High German 'agriculture',
'agricultural land', 'tilled land', also with Old English _eard_ 'tilled
land', 'place of residence', 'home(land)'.  And then there is, of
course, Modern English _art_ (encompassing the idea of "skill," as in
_artisan_), which is derived from Latin (*/art-/) _ars_ ~ _artis_.  I
wonder if somehow along the way "place" and "manner" (= "way," "skill")
got tangled up, combined by the ideas of "way" and "direction."

Do other Lowlands, Germanic and Indo-European languages offer further
clues?

Thanks for your attention and assistance!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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