LL-L "Etymology" 2007.07.27 (04) [D/E]

[Lowlands-L List]

=======================================================================

 L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226

 http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.php

 Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org - lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net

 Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html

 Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html

 Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]

 Administration: lowlands.list at gmail.com or sassisch at yahoo.com


 You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
 To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
 text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
 sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.


 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 (Zeeuws)

=======================================================================

L O W L A N D S - L  -  26 July 2007 - Volume 04

 ========================================================================

From: Diederik Masure <didimasure at hotmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2007.07.27 (01) [E]

Vortsik (of Hortsik) zegt men in 't Nederlands tegen een paard, denk ik:)

----------

From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology"

Beste Theo,

You wrote:
> Well, all Dutchmen know that in Belgium the f-word is
> called a velo, as we often in public are honoured with
> a very loud "gij velo-zot". (you, bicycle-fool").

Well, let me first tell you that I'm an avid cyclist myself (and that's
an understatement!).

However, I have never been greeted that way here in Belgium. Yet :-D .
So I'm afraid that either you were unlucky to meet the wrong kind of
people, or reasons other than bicycles may lie beneath this "insult". At
the same time, you should take the word "zot" lightly I think: It
doesn't mean that you are foolish to ride a bicycle, but rather that you
are "mad"ly in love with bikes. We also have the words "jongens-zot" and
"meiskens-zot" for example. They denote a teenager who is all the time
keen on getting new boy/girlfriends; this doesn't mean that such a
person is considered crazy.

Little detail, a true dialect speaker would have said "gij-se velo-zot".
I have no idea where this interjection -se comes from.

Kind greetings...and: keep on rolling!

Luc Hellinckx

PS: In some countries, cyclists are greeted by stones that are thrown at
their heads. Mind you, not with the intention to hit you, but rather to
show off how well the boy can aim. The closer to your head, the more
skilled he is :-D . Been told, this comes in handy when you have to herd
a flock of sheep. Dogs are worse...and then enemy number one, is the
wind of course: you can never win if he is against you.

----------

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

Luc:

We also have the words "jongens-zot" and
"meiskens-zot" for example. They denote a teenager who is all the time
keen on getting new boy/girlfriends; this doesn't mean that such a
person is considered crazy.

That would be "boy-crazy (person)" and "girl-crazy (person)" in English, I
guess.

I further guess that zot is related to English "sot" (a foolish person) as
well as "besotted" (smitten, infatuated), and a few Low Saxon have Sot in
the sense of 'fool' also.  And there's the English verb "to sot" (to make a
fool [of someone]).  Apparently, these come from Old French sot (fem. sote)
which is on unknown origin.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

•

==============================END===================================

 * Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.

 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.

 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.

 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")

   are to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at

   http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.

*********************************************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20070727/d423011c/attachment.htm>