LL-L "Etymology" 2008.07.02 (03) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 02 July 2008 - Volume 03
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From: jonny <jonny.meibohm at arcor.de>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.06.30 (02) [E]

Beste Reinhard,

>> the word LS _Klu(u)f_,_Klu(u)v_, used in the idiom 'Dat hebb ick opp'n
Kluuv', G: 'da lauert
>> Gefahr', Northern German dialect: *'Das habe ich auf Sicht'*, E: 'I fear
sth. could be
>> dangerous'.

> Hmm ... I rather assume it comes from *kluuv'* (*Kluuv* ~ *Kluw* [kluːˑv]
< *kluve* [ˈkluːve]), dialectical variant of *klau* (*Klau* [klaˑu] < *klaue
*
> [ˈklaˑue]) and *klaaw'* (*Klaaw ~ Klaw** *[klɒːˑv] < *klawe* [ˈklɒːve]).
If I remember correctly, Middle Saxon has *kluve* ~ *kluwe* and *klawe*.
These are > cognates of German *Klaue* and English *claw*, with the same
meaning. A derivation from *kluuv'* is *kluven* 'to pick (up from the
ground)', 'to
> glean', and a derivation from *klau* is *klauen* 'to steal'; cf. German *
klauben* and *klauen*.

Yes, thanks. I share your assumption and found in *Schiller/Lübben* (Middle
Low Saxon) _kluven_ in the mentioned meaning of 'to pick up', and as a noun
'kluve/klove' in the special sense of a wooden plant to clog a person, as it
was used to arrest people at the 'Pranger' (pillory). The whole family
around seems to deal with a 'splitting', as we find it in words like LS:
'kloyven' (to chop wood), G: 'Kluft' (cleft), G: 'klaffen' (to gape), E:
'claw'= 'cloven hoof'  and more.
So the idiom also could have arisen from 'there is something (frightening)
in the space in between', 'not obvious at the first glance', I think.
I guess we're dealing with a very archaic expression, but still in use here.

>  As for *klüftig*, I am not sure if it's derived from *Kluft* 'abyss' or *
kluft* 'outfit', 'duds'.

And thus, following the above interpretation, a person who is 'klüftig'
could denote someone who always is able to find a place to hide, a way to
go, 'ein Schlupfloch'...

Allerbest and thanks again!

Jonny Meibohm

PS:
> P.S.: If the usual pattern holds and our Pacific Northwest weather drifts
over to the European Lowlands, then brace yourselves, folks, for a
> heatwave is headed your way! For us it's been from unseasonably cool to
unseasonably hot.
In Northern Germany we had and still have a remarkable dry spring and early
summer. Not so bad for our marshlands but fatal for the farmers on sandy
soil, especially in the Eastern provinces. But nothing can be so bad that
there isn't something good as well: never in my life I've seen and
tasted strawberries of a quality like this year.

PPS:  I wonder what a 'Jonster' might be...- something like 'Jonny monster'
;-)?
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