LL-L "Etymology" 2007.04.28 (01) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  28 April 2007 - Volume 01

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From: Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2007.04.26 (08) [E]

Dear Ron:

Subject: L-Lowlands Etymology.

Thanks for that. Is it, now, impertinant to note a simalar drift with the AS
'deor'.
'Bees' is still bovine in Afrikaans but in English it refers to 'animal' in
the worst sense, whereas
'deer' in English is the hart, but in Afrikaans it refers to 'animal' in the
general sense.

Yrs,
Mark

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

Hi, Mark!

Impertinent? You?! Never!

Yes, I agree that the Afrikaans shift of bees(t) to meaning 'bovine' is
analogous to that of Old English díor ~ déor 'animal' to meaning "deer" 'C
ervida'.  Apparently the shift was underway in Old English already; the deer
was the animal (for hunting of course).  The shift necessitated the
introduction of the Romance loan "animal."

Am I right in assuming that English and Scots are the odd men out here?

Low Saxon for "animal" is deyrt (Deert, Diert) [dE.I3`t] ~ [di:3`t] or deyr(
Deer, Dier) [dE.I3`] ~ [di:3`].  "Deer," depending on what kind, is rey (Reh,
Reih) [rE.I] ~ [ra.I] or hart (Hart) [ha:t].  (Rey is 'roe' in non-American
English. Most Americans don't know what that means.)

German has Tier for "animal" and Reh or Hirsch for 'deer'.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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