LL-L "Etymology" 2005.09.18 (05) [D/E]
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Mon Sep 19 06:46:19 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
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: RVZSTERN at aol.com <RVZSTERN at aol.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2005.09.18 (03) [D/E]
Bainbridge Island ligt in de Puget Sound dicht bij Seattle. Per veer is het
ongeveer 35 minuten naar de stad. Ik kom oorspronkelijk uit Drenthe.
Roeliena Van Zanten
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From: David Barrow <davidab at telefonica.net.pe>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2005.09.19 (02) [E]
From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology
Dear Lowlanders,
Here's another nut to crack for us: words for a spouse that is temporarily
solo, thus English "grass widow" (~ "grass-widow") and "grass widower" (~
"grass-widower").
First of all, does anyone know Modern Low Saxon equivalents of these
words? I have to admit that I am prone to making them up ("Patentplatt"?) on
the basis of German _Strohwitwe_ and _Strohwitwer_ respectively, using
"straw" rather than "grass," thus *_strou-weetvrou_ ~ _strou-witvrou_
(<Strohweetfro> ~ <Strohwittfro>) and *_strou-weetman_ ~ _strou-witman_
(<Strohweetmann> ~ <Strohwittmann>). If I went with Dutch _grasweduwe_ and
_grasweduwnaar_ respectively as well as with Middle Saxon _graswedewe_ for
"straw widow" I would have to make it *_gras-weetvrou_ ~ _gras-witvrou_
(<Grassweetfro> ~ <Grasswittfro>) and *_gras-weetman_ ~ _gras-witman_
(<Grassweetmann> ~ <Grasswittmann>).
It is interesting to note that use of "grass" in these words seems to be
western (if we include Swedish), and use of "straw" seems to be eastern,
cutting across language boundaries, possibly as a matter of cultural
contacts; e.g.,
Western ("grass ..."):
English: grass widow; grass widower
Dutch: grasweduwe; grasweduwnaar
Middle Saxon: graswedewe; ?
Swedish: gräsänka; gräsänkling
Eastern ("straw ..."):
German: Strohwitwe; Strohwitwer
Upper Sorbian: słomjana wudowa (~ połwudowa "semi-widow");
słomjany wudowc (~ połwudowc "semi-widower")
Polish: słomiana wdowa; słomiany wdowiec
Czech/Slovak: slámená vdova; slámený vdovec
Ukrainian: соломяна вдова (solomjana vdova);
соломяній вдівець (solomjanij vdivec')
Russian: соломенная вдова (solomennaja vdova);
соломенный вдовец (solomennyj vdovec)
Bulgarian: сламена вдовица (slamena vdovica);
сламен вдовец (slamen vdovec)
But Serbian uses "white" (= "not in mourning"?): _bela udovica_; _beli
udovac.
What are the Scots, Frisian and Afrikaans words, and those in other
varieties?
It is interesting to note that there seem to be no specific words for
these concepts in Romance languages.
The original meaning and the cultural significance of these words don't
seem to be entirely established. The concensus seems to be that "grass" and
"straw" refers to bedding, or rather alternative bedding. If we were
dealing with a spouse that has been left alone at home, this would not seem
to make perfect sense. It would only do so if we were dealing with one who
is traveling or otherwise absent, since poor travelers usually slept on
straw, or on grass if outside. An earlier and in some dialects still active
meaning of English "grass widow" is 'woman that sleeps around'. If this was
earlier, I don't know what this says about the semantic shift, if this
implies that wifes temporarily left by their husbands or leaving them
temporarily had a tendency or (deserved or undeserved) reputation of being
unfaithful. Another thing: the creation of "grass widower" appears to be an
afterthought.
Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
http://www.etymonline.com/
Grass widow (1528) was originally "discarded mistress" (cf. Ger. Strohwitwe,
lit. "straw-widow"), probably in allusion to casual bedding. Sense of
"married woman whose husband is absent" is from 1846.
"[G]rasse wydowes ... be yet as seuerall as a barbours chayre and neuer
take but one at onys." [More, 1528]
David Barrow
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