LL-L "Names" 2003.10.04 (09) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 05.OCT.2003 (09) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at pandora.be>
Subject: Names

Beste Jan en Ron,

Yes, Ron's explanation re _-hem_ > _-em_ > _-om_ ~ _-um_ (i.e., labial vowel
assimilation to _-m_) looks very plausible to me.

All the _-hem_-names that I know of in Brabant are btw pronounced as _um_
(_oem_ in Dutch).

Wolvertem > Wolfertoem
Meuzegem > Muëzegoem
Brussegem > Brussegoem
Kobbegem > Koppegoem
Bodegem > Böögoem

It might not be immediately visible, but they are surely (_inga_)-_hem_
toponyms.

"Bochum" would sound like "Büükum" (German orthography), "Buukoem" (Dutch
orthography)
today in Brabantish, if it would have meant "beechhome" originally. But this
etymology
looks rather "exotic" because here in Brabant the first part of a _-hem_
toponym is
usually (always?) a personal name. "Home of the beeches" sounds very
animistic to me *s*,
but I don't want to rule this possibility out.

Greetings,

Luc Hellinckx

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From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at pandora.be>
Subject: Names

Beste Jan,

I did find two places after all where a _-hem_ toponym is not derived of a
(male) personal name
(which is usually the case in Southern Brabant).

Bornem > Börrem was originally "Burnehem", house near the source of a river
Berchem > Berrechoem used to be spelled "Bergheem" in former days, dwelling
on a hill

So, Bochum might indeed have meant "home near the beeches".

Greetings,

Luc Hellinckx

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From: niels winther <nwi at dfds.dk>
Subject: LL-L: "Names"

Ron skrev:

  We say _Blanke Hans_ ~ _Blank Hans_ ~ _Blankhans_
  ("White/Shiny John" =   '(potentially) rough, brutal,
  stormy North Sea') in Lowlands Saxon (> Northern German
  _Blanker Hans_). Do you use this nickname in Denmark also?

Yes Ron, I believe that almost everybody in S.Jutland would
know this name, and it's still used along the coast.
I suspect an element of tabu in this usage. What do you think?

venligst
Niels

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Names

Niels (above):

> I suspect an element of tabu in this usage. What do you think?

I agree -- afsluuts/absolut/absolutely!

Note that there is a variant with the native name for "John" (Hans being
German, derived from Johannes): _Blanke Jan_, also the variants _Hans Blank_
and _Jan Blank_ (as though Blank 'White' were the surname).

In dialects spoken along the North Sea, even along the Lower Elbe regions
(which are likely to be affected by gale-force winds from the northwest), a
sentence like _Dey Blanke Hans kümt/kumt_, _Hans/Jan Blank kümt/kumt_
("White John is coming"/"John White is coming" = 'There's going to be a
flood') was and often still is met with horror.  My father used to refer to
it and kept warning us about floods that would break the dikes, and that we
would be badly affected living on a diked-in island at elevations below sea
level.  When I was little, this, the name and the howl of periodic flood
alarm scared me a lot, but later we children lost this fear because nothing
ever happened ... until February 1962, which is when good old John gave us a
demonstration of his power.  (I am still grateful for the prompt assistance
we received from Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.K., the U.S. and others.)

Note also the Lowlands Saxon (Low German) nickname for 'seagull' (usually
_meyw'_ or _möyw'_): _Jan/Hans Blank syn göös'_ ("John White's geese").

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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