LL-L "Lexicon" 2005.02.09 (01) [E]

Wed Feb 9 09:05:06 UTC 2005

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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: kt4nn at juno.com <kt4nn at juno.com>
Subject: LL-L "Resources" 2005.02.08 (04) [E]

Greetings to Lowlanders,

   Terms like "weighty" sound more like slang than
Germanic. And slang can be a menace.

Peter Sorensen

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From: Arthur Jones <arthurobin2002 at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Resources" 2005.02.08

Parev, Leeglanners!

Mark Brooks has raised a fascinating question; and a big'un. He asked about
a source of information, preferably a Norman-Saxon English Dictionary,
giving equivalents in that dual (or is it schizoid?) language between words
of Romance origin (Norman French, Later Latin) and those of Germanic (Old
Frisian, Low Saxon, Jutish, Danish, Old Norse) origin.

I'm sure some of you Lowlanders will be able to refer Mark to a work on the
subject. I would also be interested in acquiring same. In the meantime, I
would recommend that he inspect standard English Common Law documents,
British, US-American, or Commonwealth, from the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Used to be, to reach all British subjects and place them on notice of such
things as property rights, all deeds, contracts, leases, trust agreements,
and many other instruments had to be so phrased that each key element was
expressed both in Norman and Saxon in the same document. A few examples:

Romance:                                             Germanic:
Injure                                                     Scathe
Fiduciary                                                Trust
Convey                                                  Sell
Transfer                                                  Set over
Constitute                                                Make
Appoint                                                  Name
Purchase                                                Buy
Tort                                                        Wrong
Tenant                                                     Holder
Payment                                                  Fee (cf. High
German "Vieh")

In the second half of the 20th Century, many of those words --on both
sides-- drifted apart, and the survivors tend to take on (assume) new
definitions as their basic concepts change and grow.

Does that help?

Groetjes,

Arthur

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

Hi, Mark!

Marginally, but following the train of thought of our prodigal brother
Arthur above, I thought you might like to peruse the SEC's _Plain English
Handbook_, because it deals with avoidance of latinate items:
http://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf

There is a nice introduction (or should I say *"inleading"?) to the Plain
English idea here:
http://www.techcomm-online.com/issues/v48n3/full/0472.html

Note also that Scots has many a Germanic word where English has a latinate
one, such as _owersettin_ ("oversetting") for "translation" (cf.
non-farwestern Low Saxon _oever-setten_, German _Übersetzung_).

Here, just for a lark and for a morsel of food for thought, is a small
number of my own cooked-up English words (derived from real Old English
ones) I imagine to be used now if the naughty Normans had stayed south of
the Channel:

abandon, to: *swike (< (ge)swîcan)
abyss: *deepness (<déopness)
achievement: *last, *lest (< lǣst, last, lest)
air: *loft, *lift (< loft, lyft)
ardent: *gale, *gail, *gol, *gall (< gâl)
artist: *wright (< wyrhta)
attack: *thraw, *throw (< þrâg)
attention: *ettle (< æhtle; cf. Sc. ettle)
audacity: *mayness, *mawness (< gemâgness)
cage: *shrine (< scrîn)
capitol, main city: *headstow (< héofodstôw)
caress, to: *love, *teat (< (ge)lufian, tǣtan)
carpenter: *smith (< smiþ; also smith)
cathedral: minster (< mynster)
cellar: *clive (< clîfa)
chair: *stool (< stôl)
chamber: *bower, *clive (< bûr, clîfa)
city: borough, *boroughstead, *chester, town (< burg(stede), ceaster, tûn)
cloister: *clouse (< clûse)
coast: *sealand (< sǣland)
coffin: *chest (< ciest)
command(o): *teaching (< tǣcing)
corpse: *like(ham), *flesham (< lîkhama, flǣschama)
country estate: *seat (< sǣta)
crucify, to: *rodefasten (< rôdefæstnian)
deceased: *stirvy, *stervy, *starvy, *sleepen (< styrfig, (ge)slǣpan)
dirge: *sorrowleeth (< sorgléoþ)
ejaculate, to: *indrive, *drive in (< indrîfan)
emperor: *ca(y)ser (< câsere)
entrance: *ongang (< ongang)
entry: *ingang (< ingang)
except: *bouten (< bûtan)
excursion: *outfare (< ûtfaru)
exit: *wirft, *werft, *outgang, *outing (< wyrft, ûtgenga)
face: *antlit, *sighth (< andwlita, gesihþ)
funeral: *beburiedness (< bebyrgedness)
general: *onely, *ainly, *main (< ânlic, gemæne)
genitals: *kind (< (ge)cynd)
guilty: *shildy, *skildy (< scyldig)
honor(ing): *worthing (< weorþung)
honor: *ore, *are (< âr(e))
honorable: *orely, *arely (ârlic(e))
horizon: *kimming (< cimbing; cf. Fries./LS kim(ming))
incest: *siblair (< sibbleger)
inspection: *showing (< scéawung)
iris (flower): *fane (< fana)
lamp: *blase (< blæse)
lesson: *read(ing) (< hrǣd(ung))
lethargy: *sleeperness (< slâporness)
literature: *stave (< stæf)
luxury: *galeship, *gailship, *gollship (< gâlscipe)
(market) fair: *year market (< géarmarcet)
offer: *tobringness (< tobrengness)
peace: *freed (< fréod, fríod, fréoþu, friþ(u))
penis: *nock, *pintle (< hnocc, pintel; cf. Sc. pintle, LS pint)
plan: *findle (< fyndel)
(public) office: *ambight, *amt (< ambiht)
requirement: *behoofth (< behœfþu)
sacrament: *holidom (< hâligdôm)
season: *tide, *meal, *thraw, *throw (< tîd, mǣl, þrâg)
sign of the cross: *rodetoken (< rôdetâken)
stomach: *may, *in(ne)th (< maga, mage, inneþ)
trinity: *threeness (< þriness)
unmarried, single: *loose (< léas)
urine: *mig, *mee (< migca, migce)
vanity: *idleness (< îdelness)
vein: *ather, *ether, *eather (< æþeru)
venerable: *oreworth, *areworth (< ârewyrþe)
village: *thorp (< þorp)
virgin: *feamin, *feamen (< fǣmne; cf. Fries. fomen 'girl'; cf. Lat. femina)
wantonness: *galeness, *gailness, *gollness, *gallness (< gâlness)

Have fun!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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