LL-L "Etymology" 2009.03.24 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 24 March 2009 - Volume 01
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Lowlanders,

I'm interested in verbs derived from the noun "knee" and its cognates.

English has two such verbs derived from "knee":



   - Germanic **knewa* >
   English and Scots (*cnéow *>) *knee*
   Frisian (*kniu*, *knî, knê*)
   Saxon (OS *knio ~ kneo* >) *Knee* (*kney*)
   Limburgish: *knee*
   Dutch *knie*
   German (OG *chniu ~ kneo* > MG *kniu ~ knie* >) *Knie*
   (cf. Greek *γόνυ*, Sanskrit जानु *jānu*)

* **=>*

   - (OE *cnéowian *>) *to knee* = "to hit with one's knee", rarely/formerly
   also "to rest on one's knees"
   Frisian (OF *knîga*)
   Saxon *kneen* (*kneyen* < German?)
   Limburgish *kneje*
   German (OG *chniuwen*, *knewen > *MG *kniuwen*, *kniewen*, *knien >*)*knien
   *


   - (OE *cnéowlian* > ME *cneolen* >) English and Scots *to kneel* = "to
   rest on one's knees"
   Saxon (MS *knelen >*) *knelen* (*kneylen*)
   Dutch *knielen*

 I can find forms with *-l-* only in Low German (i.e. Dutch and Low Saxon)
besides English and Scots. Can any of you find cognates in other language
varieties?



Now, some of you may remember what I often say about the suffix *-I-* in
Germanic: originally at least, it marked the frequentive or iterative,
series of many "small" actions (such as in "hand" > "handle", "jug" >
"juggle", "jig" > "jiggle", "suck" > "suckle", and many examples in related
languages as well).

So I am wondering if (OE *cnéowlian* > ME *cneolen* >) English and Scots "to
kneel" as well as Dutch *knielen* and Low Saxon *knelen* (*kneylen*)
originally, possibly at very early stages or even before that meant "to go
down on one's knees several times (as in early worship or as series of
kneeling and prostrations in Islam and Buddhism)" while "to knee" meant "to
rest on one's knees".

What do you think?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron**

•

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