LL-L "Etymology" 2008.12.06 (01) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 06 December 2008 - Volume 01
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From: Joachim Kreimer-de Fries <Kreimer at jpberlin.de>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.12.07 (01) [E]

Subject: Old Norwegian "os" meaning hill, mountain or the like?



Hey Lowlanders,



already in january of this year 2008 we had here a little dispute about my
proposal to denominate the LS language variety of my home region
"Osna-Sassisk", and by that about the LS name of my old hometown and former
prince-bishop's diocese Osnabrück.



In the following month, together with LL-friend Olaf Bordasch (though not on
the LL-List), who runs the best informing website on Westphalian LS
http://www.plattdeutsch-niederdeutsch.net/ , I had a productive effort about
the origin of the first part "Osna" of the name Osnabrück (the latter part
being clear as LS "brügge" [bridge]). We already came to the result, that
the "a"-part of Osna should mean water, river, but "Osn" remaining unclear
(there is an old hypothesis of "åsen", an twig of the Wotan god's family).



Yesterday, Olaf Bordasch informed me about an interesting finding on
http://www.onomastik.com/forum/about2926.html

where a contributer "saxo" makes the remark, that "os" in Old Norwegian
means "Berg oder Bergland" [mountain or mauntain region]. And this "saxo"
remarks justly, that this would better fit to the hills/mountains of the
Theutonian Forest. The name origin of the river running through Osnabrück,
today called "Hase", would then be something like "Osenaha" (with aha, ahwa
= germanic or indoeuropean for river, water "aqua"). Therefore Osnabrück
meaning town/settlement of/with the bridge over the river from the
mountains.



Because this finding could resolve the still unresolved question of the
origin of the "Osna"-part in the name of the old saxon settlement of
Osnabrück, I ask if anybody can say something about the hypothesis, that
there is an Old Norwegian / Oldnorsk or else germanic word "os/osn/osen"
meaning hill, mountain region or he like!



Goutgaun!

joachim

--

Kreimer-de Fries

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


Dear Lowlanders,

My legal first name Reinhard tends to be seen as derived from *Reginhard* or
*Raginhard* and tends to be explained as meaning 'strong counselor'. The
second part is the ancestor of "hard" and in early times meant 'strong',
'courageous' and the like.

It is about the first part (which you find in the name *Reginwald* >
Reginald as well) that I am still wondering:

   - Old English: *regnian* to put in order, to prepare
   - Old Saxon: (**ragan* >?) *regin* fate, decision, order, decree
   - Old German: *regin* fate, decision, order, decree
   - Old Norse: *regin* gods, council
   - Gothic: *ragin* determination, council, *ragineis* prescriptor,
   counselor, *raginón* to rule
   - Germanic: **ragina-* council, decision
   - Indo-European: **rĕk-* ~ **rēk-* ~ **reĝ-* to order, to arrange

I am assuming that this is related to **reĝ-* 'to rule' from which words
such as "reign", "regular", and Latin *regere* 'to reign', (**reg-s* >) *rex
* 'king' and *regina* 'queen'. Furthermore, **reĝ-* means 'straight'
(related to the idea of 'order' and 'arrange'), also contained in Latin *
regula* 'rule'. Lastly, apparently words for governed countries are derived
from it, e.g. *rîk* and *Reich* (Old English *rīce*).

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, additions?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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