LL-L "Etymology" 2004.01.28 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 28.JAN.2004 (03) * 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: R. F. Hahn <lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net>
Subject: Etymology

Yesterday I wrote about Lowlands Saxon (Plautdietsch) _Unkars_ and Eastern
Friesland Lowlands Saxon (Low German) _umkarv_:

> I can't think of a direct cognate in other Lowlands Saxon (Low German)
> varieties.  Given this and given that (1) Eastern Friesland varieties (as
> well as Groningen and Achterhoek varieties) have strong Frisian substrates
> and that (2) many Mennonites' ancestors were from Frisian-speaking areas
and
> from areas that used to be Frisian-speaking, I wonder if this Plautdietsch
> word _Unkars_ is indeed related to your _umkarv_ (<umkârw>) and can be
> traced back to Westerlauwer and/or East Frisian.
>
> I further wonder if your _karv_ (<kârw>) 'slice/piece/chunk (of bread)' is
> related to English "to carve," Scots _tae cairve_ 'to carve', Dutch
_kerven_
> 'to (carve a) notch', _kerf_ 'notch', 'nick', other LS _karven_ 'to (carve
> a) notch', _karv'_ 'notch', 'nick',  German _kerben_ 'to (carve a) notch',
> _Kerbe_ 'notch', 'nick'.  This would be related to Old Frisian _kerva_ 'to
> carve'.
>
> But what could be the etymology of _un..._ and _um..._?  Probably not _üm_
> '(a)round', etc.  Might it be a contraction of an older Frisian version of
> what in Westerlauwer Frisian is _jûn_ 'evening' (< Old Frisian _âvond_ ~
> _êwnd_).
>
> I can very well imagine _Unkars_ to be the plural form of *_Unkar_ <
> *_Unkarw_ being traceable to Frisian *_êwndkerv_ via LS *_undkarv_, thus
> literally "evening piece (of bread)."  (_er_ > _ar_ is a LS shift.)
>
> (Remember that * marks hypothetical forms.)
>
> Note also the word for 'supper' in other Lowlands Saxon (Low German)
> dialects: _avendbrood_ (<Avendbroot> ['?Q:vm(t)bro:t]), literally "evening
> bread."
>
> (It is _avendköst_ in other dialects, _köst_ being "fare" or "meal".)
>
> Anyway, what do you folks think about my (wild?) theory?

I presented it to the list Plautdietsch-L, and folks there said it is their
assumption that _Unkars_ is simply a derivation of _Owentkost_ ("evening
fare/meal").  While I concede that my theory may be a bit on the "wild"
side, I am highly skeptical about this "easy" explanation.  I simply cannot
think of a truly plausible phonological reason for _...kost_ to change to
_...kars_ (the latter of which I assume should really be spelled <...koas>
to conform with German-based "phonetic" spelling conventions for Mennonite
dialects).  However, I could see that a derivation could go as far as
*_Unkos_.

> (_er_ > _ar_ is a LS shift.)

Might it be more reasonable to say that it is a Saxon shift?  (It shows up
in English also, though less consistently.)

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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