LL-L "Etymology" 2004.08.13 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 13.AUG.2004 (04) * 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
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From: Steven Hanson <hanayatori at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Etymology


"BTW, in the UK "boob tube" is a sort of tight cropped garment worn by women
on the upper part of their bodies. In the US I think it is a normally a
derogatory term for TV, the medium. Is that right?

The song "Video killed the radio stars" was essentially incomprehensible in
the UK because to us "video" means "video recording", in various senses, eg
"I watched a video", "The film went straight to video". Is the term "video"
for television - the meaning used in the song - actually used at all widely
in the US or elsewhere?

John Feather
johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk"

I wouldn't really say that "boob tube" is derogatory, just very informal.
People who are very fond of watching TV might call it the "boob tube".  As a
side note, I believe the UK's "boob tube" is what we might call in my area
of California a "tube top".  I think I prefer the UK version better.  :-)

We use "video" in rather the same way.  We watch videos, and some of our
movies go straight to video, but "video" used for "television" is nothing
I've ever heard.

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From: Kevin Caldwell <kcaldwell31 at comcast.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2004.08.12 (12) [E]

> From: john feather <johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk>
> Subject: Etymology
>
> I can't resist passing this on - hot off the press (or at least the boob
> tube).
>
> I heard a TV speaker say "midrift" for "midriff". "Riff" comes from OE
> "hrif" = belly, but your "midriff" is exposed via a gap in your clothes so
> "midrift" sounds plausible. Folk etymology in action if it catches on.

Similar to the way "buck naked" has turned into "butt naked".

>
> BTW, in the UK "boob tube" is a sort of tight cropped garment worn by
> women
> on the upper part of their bodies. In the US I think it is a normally a
> derogatory term for TV, the medium. Is that right?

Correct, because it (supposedly) turns people into boobs (dunces).  The
article of clothing you refer to is known here as a tube top.

> The song "Video killed the radio stars" was essentially incomprehensible
> in
> the UK because to us "video" means "video recording", in various senses,
> eg
> "I watched a video", "The film went straight to video". Is the term
> "video"
> for television - the meaning used in the song - actually used at all
> widely
> in the US or elsewhere?

No, it isn't, and I don't even think that was the meaning in the song.
Rather, "video" in the song refers to music videos, and (to me at least) the
song is actually speaking in a prophetic sense, since at the time the song
came out, the whole music video production industry was just getting rolling
(The video for that song was the first music video ever played on MTV). Now,
almost every pop music artist has to have videos as well - it's hard to
succeed on radio air play alone.  The song is not saying that television in
general killed radio.

Kevin Caldwell (kcaldwell31 at comcast.net)

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From: Bill Wigham <redbilly2 at earthlink.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2004.08.12 (12) [E]

Hi John,
    You are absolutely right.  The "Boob Tube" is a device meant to rob us
U.S. citizens of brain cells...and it is doing a very complete job of it.  I
can say that because I live here.

    While I have your attention: If you ever want to get into Amerindian, as
you call it, and have plenty of time,
together with an high IQ and EQ get a copy of "Up Biblum God" which is
written by a Pilgrim Theolologian in what is one of the Algonqian Languages
which covered a lot of ground between Virginia and Minnesota by way of New
England and Canada...it gave me a headache.

    Qs:  Where does Pennsylvania deutsch stand regarding our list (above) of
the official Lowland Languages.  Does it represent a Middle ground between
Low German and High (elevation,  that is) German?

What do we call the German that is taught in school these days,
Schuledeutsch, High German, oder was?

Is there any validity in pointing out that the German word for Fence is
ZAUN, and that the Low German word can be written as T'aun.  The modern
English word seems to come  straight from the OE, appearing as TOWN, TON or
perhaps even DON.  Would that sequence suggest that there is a link between
German and English despite invasions by unbidden guests?

Hochachtungsvoll,
Bill Wigham (entry level new person)

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From: Markus Haverkamp <mjhaverkamp at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Adder


Gabriele wrote:
Big difference, though!! The "Natter" (Ringelnatter, Würfelnatter") is
a harmless (unless you're a frog), non-venomous grass snake. The adder, on
the other hand (German "Otter" or "Kreuzotter") is the only venomous snake
in Northern Europe.

Not quite. The term adder is derived from Old English nadder, the n being
lost. What the equivalent to German Otter would be I do not know.

Markus

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