LL-L "Etymology" 2004.07.18 (03) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 18.JUL.2004 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at pandora.be>
Subject: Etymology

Beste liëglanners,

Films like "Shrek" and "Lord of the Rings" seem to have one important
character in common, and that's the revival of "Orcus". Linguistically at
least. "Orcus" is the Roman God of death and the underworld, and has come to
us in many shapes and forms, during the last two thousand years:

"ogre" (E, 18th century) < "ogre" (French, early 14th century < *orc) ~
"orco" (Italian, bogeyman) ~ "ör(re)k" (B) (harsh and callous person,
tyrant, 16th century, but still in use today) ~ "orke" (Middle High German)
~ "(n)org" (elfish creature in many (South?) German(ic) folk tales, the
initial _n_ can result from the final n of the article preceding it) ~ "Orc"
(Tolkien)

Whether the killer whale "orc(a)" is also related to this family, is not
sure. Maybe the maker of the tv-series "Mork and Mindy" (in the late 70's)
was also inspired by "Orc", when he created "Mork from Ork" (played by Robin
Williams; Ork was a planet where the inhabitants had very different
feelings...if any *s*)?

There's another word that has puzzled me lately, "camelot" being the case.
In Brabantish, "kammelot" is used for anything which is low-quality and
inferior, "ersatz" we also say (< German occupation during WW2). "Camelot"
used to be an expensive fabric from the Middle East however (made of camel
hair...hence the name), but quite soon cheap imitation stuff started
circulating and so it got a bad name. Now I wonder if there could be any
relationship with king Arthur's Camelot...and if so, how???

Kind greetings,

Luc Hellinckx

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