LL-L "Etymology" 2009.03.09 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 09 March 2009 - Volume 04
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Tere, Mari ja teiste sõpradega!

Under Music you gave us a link to an interesting page about Estonian
bagpipes (*torupill*):

http://www.users.on.net/~kustas/torupill/<http://www.users.on.net/%7Ekustas/torupill/>



And I mentioned the *torupill* on an earlier occasion.

I am assuming that Estonian *pill* 'musical instrument' was derived from
Middle Saxon (or Early Low Saxon) *spill*, literally 'play'. In Middle Saxon
and Middle German it was not uncommon to use *spill* and *spîl* to denote
'musical instrument', especially in compounds. German *Glockenspiel* is a
lasting example of that.

Now, as for *toru*, I used to think it was a Scandinavian loan
(*stor*'big'), but the article says it comes from Estonian
*toru* 'pipe'.

The article mentions that there are alternative names for the *torupill*: *
kitsepill*, *lootspill*, and *kotepill*. I have a couple of questions about
these.

   - *Kitsepill* is clear to me: from *kitse* 'buckskin' in reference to the
   airbag. I wonder if it is of Indo-European origin.

   - *Lootspill* is really interesting in that the first component appears
   to be *loots*, a Saxon loan (*lootse ~ loots*) for '(ship's) pilot'. Does
   this mean that the *torupill* used to be used by pilots' signaling as
   they entered or left a harbor? Or did people play the pipes on land to guide
   ships in and out of harbors?

   - *Kotepill* I am not sure about, but I wonder if *kote* is related to
   'cottage', 'homestead', which in Modern Estonian is *kodu*, besides
   borrowed *kotedž* (cf. Finnish *koti*, Veps *kodi*). If there is such a
   link, this is one of my favorite etyma with possible Eurasian spread
   (*"permanent building/settlement" > "city", cf. "hut", cottage, *kota*).

Any ideas?

It might be interesting to add a few etymological notes to the said article.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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