LL-L "Etymology" 2005.07.23 (03) [E]

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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: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at WORLDONLINE.NL>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2005.07.23 (01) [E]

I'm not Arthur, but <rakker>, originally meaning skinner and toilet
cleaner (!),  is from <rakken> = to sweep/wipe together, to clean up dirt.
This is an intensive form of <raken>, to rake, which originally meant to
scrape together, to grub. I don't know about Gothic, but in Swedish and
Old Norse <raka> means to grub, too.

Ingmar

I'm not Arthur, but <rakker>, originally meaning skinner and toilet
cleaner (!),  is from <rakken> = to sweep/wipe together, to clean up dirt.
This is an intensive form of <raken>, to rake, which originally meant to
scrape together, to grub. I don't know about Gothic, but in Swedish and
Old Norse <raka> means to grub, too.

Ingmar

Reinhard schreev:
>In the majority of Low Saxon dialects that have _rakker_ (<Racker>) it
means
>"scoundrel" and the like.  Lindow gives the following glosses in his
>dictionary: _Schinder, Henker; Schurke, Flegel, Halunke, Schelm; (heute
>häufig wohlmeinend, bes. zu Kindern), Schalk, drolliger Wicht_.  So it
seems
>to have started off as meaning "torturer," then "scoundrel," then
>"prankster," then "droll guy," and then "naughty or cheeky child."  In
your
>dialect it then became simply "child."
>
>Now, this leads me to further etymologize _rakker_ (<Racker>) as being
>related to English "rack," namely the torturer's rack (i.e., a contraption
>for physical torture), although I can't think of expected *_rak_ (*<Rack>)
>occurring in Modern Low Saxon.
>
>Related words:
>
>rakkerey (<Rackeree>): hard/dirty labor
>
>rakke(r)n (<racke(r)n>): to do hard physical labor, to do grunge work, to
>slave
>
>af-rakke(r)n (<afracke(r)n>), sik ___: (id.)
>
>rakker-tuyg (<Rackertüüg>): gang (of "heavies"), ragtag company
>
>Arthur, is there any chance of Gothic _raka_ being related to all of this?
>
>Regards,
>Reinhard/Ron

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From: Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2005.07.21 (12) [E]

Dear Utz, Elsie & All,

Subject: LL-L "Etymology"

> The name of the little bug 'lady bird' is in Polish 'biedronka'. But it
> is also known under the name of 'boża krówka', which means something
> like 'devine little cow' or 'devine cattle'. What´s the hell is the
> relationship of a bug to God or The Lord?

Nog 'n klippie in die dammetjie!
The Jews call the ladybird "Prat Mioshe Rabeinu" meaning 'Cattle of our
Teacher Moses'.
Just for fun let me add, they call our hotnotsgodjie, the preying mantis,
"Gamal Shlomo" meaning 'Solomon's Camel'.

All yrs,
Mark

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

Thanks, Ingmar and Mark!

Oxford English Dictionary:

<quote>
rack, v. [3]

[Prob. a. MDu. recken (Du. rekken) or MLG. recken, OHG. recchan (LG. and G. 
recken) to stretch, draw out, = OE. reccan: see RECCHE.
  A MLG. racken is also recorded, and Kilian has racken ‘torquere, tendere, 
tormentis exprimere’. Cf. also G. racken to vex, torture (Grimm).]

    1. trans. To stretch the joints of (a person) by tugging or pulling, 
esp. with intention to cause severe pain, and spec. by means of a special 
apparatus (see RACK n.3).
</quote>

<quote>
rack, n. [3]
[Related to RACK v.3, and perh. formed from it in Eng., but cf. also G. 
recke, more commonly recke-, reck-, or rackbank, a rack for drawing wire, 
stretching leather, inflicting torture, etc.
  An obs. Du. racke ‘tormentum, fidiculæ, equuleus’ is alleged by Kilian, 
but its genuineness is doubtful, esp. as Kilian also cites the Eng. word.]

    1. An instrument of torture formerly in use, consisting (usually) of a 
frame having a roller at each end; the victim was fastened to these by the 
wrists and ankles, and had the joints of his limbs stretched by their 
rotation. (See also quot. 1632.)

</quote>


<quote>
racker, n. [1]

[f. RACK v.3 + -ER1.]

    1. One who racks, in senses of the vb.</quote>
<quote>

In English there are several verbs and nouns that are homophonous with 
these, but none of them seems to be even remotely connected with "to rake" 
and "rake."  However, I hasten to add that "rack" listed above begins to 
appear in writing in the 14th or 15th century, and that it could very well 
be a Middle Dutch or Middle Saxon loan group.  At any rate, the underlying 
meaning appears to be "to stretch" (not "to rake"), as it survives for 
instance in German _sich recken_ ("to rack oneself") 'to stretch' (e.g., 
after sleeping).

Mark, for the sake of clarity for all (since there are numerous Jewish 
languages), allow me to add that what you talk about above it Hebrew.

Tata!
Reinhard/Ron

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