LL-L "Idiomatica" 2008.06.22 (04) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 22 June 2008 - Volume 04
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From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2008.06.20 (06) [E]

> From: Kevin & Cheryl Caldwell <kevin.caldwell1963 at verizon.net>
> Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2008.06.20 (01) [E]
> Mike's post reminds me of another euphemism in English for "toilet": the
necessary.

In my Limburgish we say "*noa het heske gon*" (go to the little house) for
going to the lavatory.
Formerly the lavatory was a little house, separated from the main building,
not heated, with just a round hole in a board, covering the
pit. Traditionally a little hart was cut-out in the door, so one could have
some contact from the outside with the person inside. The expression
survived, without people realizing the historical etymology.

In Westerlauwer Frisian the most common expression too is: "nei it húske
gean".
The toilet is still referred to as "it húske", almost universally, I would
say.
I've heard this on Heligoland as well, and it probably occurs in more
Frisian dialects in Germany as well.

Henno

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

Beste Ron,

I wrote:

> Traditional Brabantish (and Limburgish as well I believe) has "(h)öske" for
> toilet, which actually means "little house"; because in a farm, a toilet
> used to be a little outhouse, separate from the main building. The good
> thing was that you had a roof above your head, but still you had to go
> outside to take care of business.
>

Apparently Austrian German uses a similar word for toilet: Häusl. On the
evolution of the tiniest room:

http://www.ooegeschichte.at/WC.723.0.html

Kind greetings,

Luc Hellinckx

PS: Even in the mid-20th century, the "Misthaufen" was still in use here
in many farms (for the purpose mentioned above).

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

Thanks, Luc.

Apparently Austrian German uses a similar word for toilet: Häusl. On the
evolution of the tiniest room:

It's the same in Bavarian, now spelled *Hoisl*.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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