LL-L "Etymology" 2007.10.09 (04) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  08 October 2007 - Volume 04
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

I wrote about Low Saxon and German Knaster:

Where did Low Saxon get it?  There are some indications that Low Saxon and
German (or German via Low Saxon) got it from Dutch. In the 17th century, it
turns up in writing as Canastertobac and then as Knastertobak. At that time
it was an especially fine, aromatic and thus coveted type of tobacco that
was contained in pieces of cane. German student jargon then gave it the
opposite meaning: 'roughly cut, bad-smelling, cheap tobacco' (the type that
students could afford and jokingly gave a prestigious name). So, if these
days you refer to Knaster instead of to Tobak or Tabak, it is most likely
derogatory, implying 'stinky'. Let me add that most of the time it denotes
pipe tobacco, but I've heard it used with reference to cigars and cigarettes
as well.

Apparently, the word goes back, probably via Dutch, to Spanish
canast(r)o(thus probably an American connection) which goes back to
Greek κάναστρων
(kánastrôn) 'basket woven from reeds' (cf. Modern Greek κανίστρο (kanístro)
'basket' > "cannister") going back to Greek κάννα (kánna) 'cane'.  This is
as much as I can find out.

Extensions of this noun have been created in some German and Low Saxon:

   - Knasterbart / Knasterbaard ("knaster-beard"): grumpy old man
      - It may well come from aforesaid Knaster (cheap, evil-smelling
      tobacco smoked by bitter old men, I suppose) with associations
of Dutch, Low
      Saxon and German knast 'knot (in a tree or piece of wood)'
   - knastern: to be grumpy

The German noun Knast 'clink', 'can', 'brig', 'pokey', 'slammer' (and other
such informal words for 'prison') is not related to the above. It came from
the now extinct Rotwelsch jargon (cant) used at the fringes of society.
Rotwelsch got it from Yiddish קנס knas '(monetary) fine', and Yiddish got it
from Hebrew קְנָס qǝnâs 'fine'. Thus the Rotwelsch idea of the word seems to
have been '(official) penalty'.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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