LL-L "Etymology" 2005.04.07 (08) [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
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From: Ed Alexander <edsells at cogeco.ca>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2005.04.07 (07) [E/F/LS]

At 02:46 PM 04/07/05 -0700, Ron wrote:

  Folks, Henno presented the third possibility, his suggestion, regarding
  _knyv_ etc. for 'knife' in Low Franconian and Low Saxon: they are common
  Germanic and have been preserved in some varieties, not in others (with
the
  implication that they just are not found in extant ancient texts).
>From Claiborne The Roots of English:
"GEN-, like gel-1, another catchall root (see below).  Its supposed meaning
was "compress into a ball," whence KNEAD, but also ? various Gc words
describing compressed KNOBY things and ?? others meaning sharp blows.  The
"knobs" include CLUB, NUB, KNUCKLE, KNOLL (a "knob" of ground), and ? KNOT,
whence KNIT (originally = tie with a knot).  The "sharp blows" group
includes KNOCK, KNACK (originally = sharp blow), and KNACKWURST - a sausage
that cracks (German knackt) sharply when cut or bitten.  More remotely
connected - if at all - is KNIFE.

The diverse descendants of this alleged root suggest that here, too, we're
actually dealing with two or more different ones - probably not even
Indo-European.  Their descendants are found only in Gc - which,
incidentally, was rich in non-I.E. words beginning with KN (modern examples
are "knave" and "knight", which five centuries ago were pronounced as
spelled).  So - why not call it a Germanic root and be done with it?  Ask
the experts!"

Ed again:  perhaps originally the "knife" in question was more of a
"cleaver", with which one appears to hack at the meat.

Ed Alexander

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