LL-L "Idiomatica" 2008.03.06 (04) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 06 March 2008 - Volume 04
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From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at WORLDONLINE.NL>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.03.04 (02) [E]

Hi, I'm still curious if an equivalent of NLS "lös" is used in DLS as well
in the sense of "open". Or maybe in other languages/dialects? Can anyone
here tell more about this?

Groetjes
Ingmar

From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at WORLDONLINE.NL>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.03.03 (02) [E]

Btw in Low Saxon in the Netherlands, the word "lös" is used for open.
This leads to fun and confusion with Dutch speakers, because Dutch "los"
means loose. Many Low Saxon speakers will say in Dutch "de deur is los"
(the doore has got loose) or "de winkel is los" (the shop is sold out)
instead of correct Dutch "de deur is open" and "de winkel is open" (the
door/shop is open).
Does this also occur in Low Saxon in Germany?

Ingmar

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

Hey, Ingmar!

Sorry this slipped by be, or rather slipped my mind.

I am not aware of the use of cognate *loos* in this sense in Low Saxon of
Germany, certainly not in the northern dialect group. If it does occur it
probably does in the Westphalian group, which in many regard is closer to
your dialect and also to our Henry's Twente dialect.

Pairs in NLS:

*apen* 'open'
*slaten* 'closed', 'shut' (literally 'locked')

*up* (German *auf*) here 'open'
*tou* (*to*, German *zu*) here 'closed', 'shut'

(*loos*)*
dicht* (cognate of 'tight') 'closed', 'shut'

So, in theory I'd expect *loos* to mean 'open' rather than 'closed'.

As in English, *loos* can be used in the sense of "(on the) loose," probably
originating from "untethered" or "off the leash" in reference to animals.

The phrase *De suug' is loos* (German *Die Sau ist los*, lit. "The sow is
(on the) loose"), if not meant literally, denotes a turbulent situation, e.g.
after the boss returns from vacation and "goes to town" (LS *gayt tou keyr*)
when he discovers one of his favorite client is miffed because no one picked
her up from the airport. (Imagine you let the sow go free on the Saturday
night dance floor ...)

Also, *loos-gaan* (*loosgahn* "to go loose") means 'to start', 'to begin'
(intransitive), which may have been borrowed from German *losgehen*, or it
may have been the other way around. This is why rumor has it that poor
former German president Lübke told Elizabeth II in his *Patentenglisch* that
the opera performance was about to "go loose." I imagine the origin of this
has something to do with dogs and perhaps with hunting: the hunt *starts* as
soon as the hounds are let *loose*.

This was my take.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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