LL-L "Etymology" 2009.01.19 (05) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 19 January 2009 - Volume 05
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology



Dear Lowlanders,

German word *Wand* and the Dutch word *wand* denote an inside wall, in other
words a partitioning wall, usually "wall" as seen from the inside of a
building (as opposed to *Mauer* and *muur* for an outside wall). I wonder if
German *Wand* and Dutch *wand* began as a specifically Frankish word.

The *Herkunfts-Duden* does in fact describe *Wand* as specifically German
and Dutch. There is no mention of Low Saxon (which at the time of
publication did not have separate language status).

Today's Low Saxon does have the word *Wand* in the same sense. However, I
wonder if this is a German and/or Dutch loan, because I can not find a
semantically closely related word in Old Saxon. It does have *wand* in the
sense of "boundary" among other things, though, this in the sense of German
*Wende* "turning point", i.e. originally a field boundary at which one turns
around (while plowing, for instance).

However, apparently German *Wand* and Dutch *wand *are derived from the
related verb *wind-* as in English "to wind," specifically in the sense of
"to wind > weave (twigs)". Walls of half-timbered houses used to consist of
timber frames and woven twigs and brushwork sealed with clay. (In later
times brick came to be added in between timber beams on the outside.) In
other words, clay-sealed woven barriers were seen from the inside and were
called *wand* (Old German *want*).

Old Saxon has *wal* for an inside wall, sometimes for walls in general, also
for cliff faces, later specifically for protective walls, such as ramparts.
Of course this is related to English "wall", German (*wal* >) *Wall* and
Dutch (*wāl* >) *wal*, the latter two meaning 'rampart'. This tends to be
considered derived from Latin *vallus* 'palisade pole', from Indo-European *
*ŭel-* 'to turn', 'to roll'.

Incidentally, I think it is interesting that Modern English is content with
simply "wall". Old English has *weal*, *wāg* *~ w**ǣ**g* ~ *wāh* and *mūr*.
I am not sure if *wāg* *~ w**ǣ**g* ~ *wāh* is native or if it is a Norse
loan (Old Norse *veggr*). It's likely to be native, since Old Frisian has
related *wâch*. At any rate, I am under the impression that it denotes
(mainly) what *Wand* and *wand* denote in German and Dutch. *Weal* denotes
mostly ramparts, as do its cognates in related languages. *Mūr* denotes
man-made walls, again as in modern relatives. Are we dealing with lexical
simplification as a matter of perceived redundancy in English?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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