LL-L "Etymology" 2008.03.15 (04) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 14 March 2008 - Volume 04
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From: orville crane <manbythewater at hotmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.03.15 (01) [E]

Dear Lowlanders,
Leif Ericsson traveled from Greenland to North America a thousand years ago
and took took his expedition past a stony island called "Helluland", meaning
"Slab Land". This is thought to be Baffin Island, I believe.
The Faroese verb, 'hella' means: 1. to slant, slope, bend, bow; 2) to lean,
to be in a leaning, sloping position.
The Far. noun, 'hella' means; 1. bedrock, rocky ground, fixed rock; 2) flat
rocky beach; 3) flat stone, stone flag
The Far. adjective, 'hellutur' means ground or terrain with flat rocks.
man by it wetter

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From: Diederik Masure <didimasure at hotmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2008.03.15 (01) [E]

Ron wrote: This seems to belong to the "hall" group, also German
*hehlen*'to hide'.

Dutch 'helen' means "to sell stolen goods", and derrived from that "heler",
a person who buys and then sells stolen stuff...
Related?

Diederik

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

Hi, Diederik!

Sorry. I meant to write that German *verhehlen* means 'to hide/cover up (e.g.
the truth)'. I consider *hehlen* semi-defunct, but at least its original
meaning, too, was 'to hide', 'to cover up'. It's related to Dutch *helen* as
well as to Old Saxon, Old English and Old German *helan*. Modern German *
Hehler* has the same meaning as Dutch *heler*. My theory is that early on
this got specialized where "hiding" or "covering up" involved illicit trade,
probably secret hiding places for (stolen) goods.

This family of words includes German *(ver)hüllen *'to cover', 'to envelop',
'to shroud', originally 'to hide' (with the nominal derivative
*Hülle*'envelop', 'sheath'), related to Old English
*hyllan*, Old German *hullan* and Gothic *huljan*.

And, yes, the "hall" branch of words, too, belongs to it (< **halla*). Part
of this family is Latin *cella* 'chamber' and Sanskrit शाला *śālā *'shelter',
'house', 'hut'.

Not only that, but -- and now hang on to your socks! -- the "hell" branch as
well! Gothic *halja*, Old Norse *hel* (and Hel, the goddess of death), Old
German *hell(i)a*, Old Saxon *hel*, *hellia*, Old Low Franconian *hella*,
Old Frisian *helle*, Old English *hell*.

At the root of all of the above is supposed to be Indo-European **k̂el-*. My
personal hunch is that this originally referred to living and hiding in
caverns, hence a connection with slopes and rocks and also with
(subterranean) hell. Furthermore, it is very well possible that English
"hole" and "hollow" belong to this.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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