LL-L "Etymology" 2009.04.09 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 09 April 2009 - Volume 05
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From: Mike Morgan <mwmosaka at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2009.04.09 (03) [E]

RE: my fairy fey

Or perhaps this is a tautology: fairy (english) L fee (= fairy in French).
Akin to such expressions as the "River Afon".

And speaking of "Fairy feys", we have, of course, Morgan / Morgain Le Fay
aka Morgaine / Morgane la Fée aka Morgana the Fairy, daughter of Queen
Igrayne / Igraine, half-sister of King Arthur, who revealed to him (by
giving him a cup containing a magic draught) the goings on 'twixt Sir
Lancelot and  Queen Gwenhwyfar / Guinevere (one etymology of which is "White
Fa(ir)y").

To MY knowledge neither she nor Morgan Fairchild is a relative (though MY
knowledge only goes back through 11 generations of Morgans! ... i.e. sink
they came over to the new world on Noah's Ark ... with the same initials
as Adam and Eve, but Abra(ha)m and Elis(a)beth.)

mike || U C > || мика  || माईक || マイク
    (( Michael W Morgan, PhD ))
linguist at large in BomBa'y' (for the time being anyway)
+++++++++++++++++
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its
shoes. (attributed to Mark Twain)

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From: Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2009.04.08 (09) [E/French]

Dear Ron

Subject: LL-L 'Etymology'

You wrote to  Luc,

"In English, "fey" is dialectical (mostly northern) and archaic, from Old
English *f*

*ǽgi*.

The basic meaning, common to all cognates, seems to be "timid".
In English, one of the semantic extensions seems to be "timid" > "shy" >
"coy", "elusive" > "like a fairy".

I cannot agree. The nearest I can come to meeting you half-way is to concede
the application of the word in the context of 'elusive' or 'magical' or some
such.

Is it, now, my Celtic background that warns me that 'fey' carries meaning of
the order of 'Possessed by his Doom', 'His Wierd Driven', 'Reckless of his
Destiny', 'His Gaes upon him'?

One avoids association with the fey, whether they stride out from under
burning thatch swinging a sword, or set sail into the eye of a storm, or
coolly turn their horse back into the thick of a horde. Such people are not
timid, & invariably are well aware of the projected outcome of their
actions, inevitably grevious. I do not say they are fools rather than timid:
Their own personal part in the end-game may be the best if not the only
option open to them, only it is their own, preferably not to be shared. I
remember saying myself in a certain situation, "Jong, hier wag geen
gelukkige uitkoms." I was not wrong.

My Groot Woordeboek 'English - Afrikaans' (Kritzinger, Steyn, Schoonees &
Nienaber) offer this for Fey in Afrikaans: Sterwende, tot die dood verdoem,
veeg, sieal, deurmekaar, bundig.

To me the Afrikaans 'sieal' comes closest: Verklarende Groot Woordeboek
(Kritzinger, Labuschagne & Pienaar);

Onheilspellend, gedoem.

Hey, Ron: I creep out of my lurk from a long grim passage, not having the
spirit to write, but I read with greed & some relief, my thanks to you
all. My father has passed out of this Life, as the Psalmist sang, HaGieh
Tsal Mavvet - The valley of the shadow of Death. It was a long miserable
fight, bringing his confrontation with the snake to its final conclusion.
Now it is over, & we may remember him with pride & joy. He was a good father
to have, & a good friend.

Yrs,

Mark


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

Thanks, for your input, you two Markses!

Dear Mark D., please accept my sincere sympathy on the passing of your
father, ×¢×´×”. My heart goes out to you, your Ruth and the rest of your loved
ones.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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