LL-L "Etymology" 2004.06.20 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 20.JUN.2004 (02) * 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: Dan Prohaska <Daniel at ryan-prohaska.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" [E]

Reinhard,

Low Saxon (LS) seems to be following the High German (HG) trend to replace
the etyma that gives LS <süyk> and HG <siech> with krank. HG replaced it in
the later mediaeval period.

Though literary or dialectal it cannot be said that the adjective cognate
does not survive, albeit with a slightly different meaning (usually
"suffering heavily" or even "terminally ill").

Derivations from the verb <siechen> and the verb itself are very much alive
in HG.

Reinhard/Ron wrote:

<I take it as a given that both words already existed in Lowlands Saxon (Low
<German), but that on the German side of the border people may now avail
<themselves more and more of the _krank_ choice because of German influence.

<(Modern German has only _krank_, besides words like _unwohl_ "unwell," but
<no cognate of the adjective _süyk_ ~ _syk_.)  I believe that _süyk_ ~ _syk_
<used to be predominant (as in Dutch and Netherlands LS) but is now
<gradually losing ground to _krank_ in Germany under German influence, at
<least in certain dialects.  A couple of speakers in the greater Hamburg
<area have told me that they preferred _krank_ because _süyk_ ~ _syk_
<reminded them too much of German _Seuche_ 'epidemic', 'scourge'.  One
<thought of _süykenhuus_ for 'hospital' as "silly" because it sounded to her
<like a place in which people a quaranteened.  I guess this would be an
<example of a special type of language interference, one in which native
<speaker competence is being eroded due to foreign cognate associations.  (I
<wonder if this has been the subject of academic investigation.)

<Kumpelmenten,
<Reinhard/Ron

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

Good one, Dan!

Few people seem to make this connection with _siechen_ ['zi:C at n], at least
in the LS dialects that have a rounded vowel (_süyk_ [zy:k]), but they do
tend to make a connection with _Seuche_ ['zOIC@], assumedly because of a
more obvious LS /üü/ = German /oi/ relationship (e.g. tüyg [t_hy:C] = Zeug
[ts_hOIk] 'stuff', lüyd' [ly:.d] = Leute ['lOIt_h@] 'people', 'folk', düyr
[dy:3] = teuer ['t_hOI@`] 'dear', 'expensive').

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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