LL-L "Etymology" 2004.10.27 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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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 <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Luc Vanbrabant about willows (Dutch _wilg_, Lowlands Saxon/Low German
_wichel_):

> "Wilg" in Flemish is "wulge".
> Kopwulge(V) = knotwilg (D)

Interesting!

_Knotwilg_, the Dutch word for 'pollard willow', literally means "knot
willow," assumedly referring to the bulges created by repeated polling,
i.e., cutting off switches (for weaving).

_Kopwulge_, the Flemish word for 'pollard willow', is related to the German
equivalent _Kopfweide_, both literally "head willow".  Another German word
is _Kropfweide_, which may be related to English 'to crop'.

The Lowlands Saxon (Low German) word for "pollard willow" is _pul-wichel_
(<Pullwichel> ['pU.lvICl=] ~ _pol-wichel_ (<Pollwichel> ['pO.lvICl=]).

This seems to be related to English "pollard willow" which the _Oxford
English Dictionary_ believes to go back to to the "Middel Dutch" or "Low
Dutch" (?) word _polle_ resulting in Middle English (1290-) _polle_ 'head of
(short) hear' and the derived verb (1388-) _polle_ 'to cut hair short', 'to
crop'.   It links the noun with the Bremen region Lowlands Saxon (Low
German) noun _polle_ as well as with Swedish dialectal _pull_ and Danish
_puld_ 'crown of the head'.

Most Lowlands Saxon dialects have the verb _püllen_ ~ _pöllen_ with the
meaning 'to poll (a tree)' as well as the specific word for 'pollar willow'
mentioned above.

I believe that this is related to Dutch and Afrikaans _pol_ 'clump of
grasses', 'tussock', 'tuft'.

Scots has _poll_ ~ _pow_ 'head of cropped hair', 'haircut', 'blunt, rounded
end of an object'.  I do not know if this inherent or a "Low Dutch" loan.
What is the word for "pollard willow" in Scots?

For those of you outside the Continental Lowlands, let me add that pollard
willows are very common sights in those regions.

Here are a few pictures:
http://www.weidensepp.de/bilder/kopfweide.jpg
http://www.nettetalbild.de/Heimatfotos/Kopfweide-gr.jpg
http://www.grossschutzgebiete.brandenburg.de/np_bar/_fotos/kopfweide.jpg
http://www.kollmar.org/BilderHTM/BilderApril/Pullwichel_un_Huus_10-00-27a.jpg
http://www.ivnoostveluwezoom.nl/images/knotwilgen.jpg
http://vossen.xs4all.nl/bsz/jpa/mijn-figuren/knotwilgenvoorst100.jpg (!!!)

I am weirdly, "gothically" fascinated with Lowlands pollard willows as
symbols and metaphors, as in one of my earlier poems, which I will give you
under "Literature" today.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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