LL-L "Etymology" 2006.03.03 (10) [D/E]

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
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03 March 2006 * Volume 10
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From: Roland Desnerck <desnerck.roland at skynet.be>
Subject: LL-L "Delectables" 2006.03.03 (04) [D/E]

Beste Lowlanders,
Beste Ron (maar niet rhum),
Zeer blij dat ik de kans krijg zoveel taalkundigs bij te leren. De meeste
reacties zijn buitengewoon interessant en voor taalvorsers aanvullend en
verrijkend.
Toch nog een woordje over "lapkoes", "labskaus"...
Dit woord wordt niet in geheel West-Vlaanderen gebruikt, slechts aan de
Vlaamse kust.
Dit nog: het gerecht "lapkoes" wordt beschouwd als een soort
vervangingseetmaal aan boord. Welnu het eerste deel "lap" kennen wij in
bepaalde woorden om vervanging weer te geven:
e lapname: een bijnaam; ook: gelapte name;
meetsje-lap: iemand die de echte doopmeter vervangt;
zo ook: peetske-lap;
etwien etwa lapm: iemand een kool stoven; gaat terug op "lap" = stuk stof;
maar dient dit stuk stof ook niet om te vervangen, om te "lapm én te tapm";
lapper: boogschutter van de St.-Sebastiaansgilde die enkel op maandag gaat
schieten op de liggende of staande wip (of "goajpérse").
Vroeger dacht ik dat "lap" in "lapkoes" pseudo of vervangings- betekende.
Weet iemand hierover meer?

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

Bedankt, beste Roland!  Dat was een grote hulp.

Folks, thanks to Roland, this is turning into an etymology thread.  He 
suggest that the _lap-_ part in _lapkoes_, _lapskaus_, _labskaus_, etc., is 
related to German _Lappen_ 'rag', etc., and denotes 'substitute', as in 
Flemish _e lapname_ 'a byname', 'a nickname'.

Our Roland may be onto something here.  I had also thought of Old German 
_lâb-_ 'to refresh' (cf. Modern German _erlaben_) and its cognates, but I 
would expect a long vowel in that case.

Now watch the plot thickening!

Just to mind comes North Saxon _lapperig_ ~ _labberig_ ~ _lavverig_, which 
means 'flavorless', 'unsavory', 'insipid', 'weak (in flavor or nutrition)', 
etc.  It can also just refer to food being of very plain, everday humdrum 
quality.

As for the second part of the supposed compound, I am flirting with Old 
Saxon and Old German _kost-_ 'to try', 'to taste', 'to enjoy (food)' (cf. OS 
_kostunga_ 'temptation'), which have the modern equivalents G _kosten_ and 
LS _kösten_ ~ _kosten_ with the same meaning, and the nominal forms G _Kost_ 
and LS _Köst_ ~ _Kost_ 'fare', 'board', 'diet', 'meal plan', 'meal'.
A _-t_ tends to assimilate to ("disappear") after _-s-_, especially at the 
end of a word.

So perhaps the name of this dish originally meant something like "humdrum 
make-do fare."  This would make sense, since, besides the notorious ship's 
buiscuits (which sometimes crawled with maggots), sailors did not get a lot 
of culinary variety, and most dishes were made from durable and preserved 
ingredients, potatoes and salt meat or corned meat being foremost among 
them.  So, dice and boil some potatoes and then throw in some diced salt or 
corned meat, and Bob's your uncle (as our British friends might say, or 
_fertig ist die Laube_ "the gazebo's done," as our German friends might 
say).  There you have it: lobscouse!  Pickles, eggs, herring, etc., are 
probably just the bells and whistles of today's jazzed-up versions.

It seems to be of the modest, frugal fare category like German 
_Hoppelpoppel_: braised or fried potatoes with a fried egg on top, and some 
people throw diced bacon or salt or corned meat in with the potatoes.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron 

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