LL-L "Etymology" 2009.05.08 (02) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 08 May 2009 - Volume 02
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From: heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk <heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Orthography" 2009.05.08 (01) [EN]

>From Heather Rendall heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk

re the word 'wasp'

Ron/Reinhard wrote "German has *Wespe* 'wasp'. Low Saxon has metathesis
here: *Weps ~ Wöps* (in some dialects still *Wepse* ), AS *weps* ~ *w* *ö* *
ps* ~ *wepse* . For the same thing, some dialects have *Wispel* (
*wispel*), others
*Jietel *( *jytel* ) or *Jiddel *( *jiddel* ). "

I've said in another exchange that in Sussex wasps are called 'jaspers' but
having seen the AS 'wops', another name sprang immediately to mind, namely
'woppit' which I had always taken as a child's version of 'wasp'. But now
I'm not so sure.... could it be a genuine dialect version of 'wops'?

Does anyone else know of 'woppits'? Or 'jaspers'

Heather

Worcester UK

 PS I have just checked 'wasp' in the OED and there it has

OHG wafsa, wefsa :

OS wepsia , wespa, wasp

WGerm *wabis-, * waps

IE *wobhes- *wops-

So which is the metathesized version?   Wasp or Wops ?
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
 Subject: Etymology

Hello, Heather!

Indeed, it must be the forms with /sp/ that underwent metathesis. Thanks for
pointing that out.

Isn't another word like this "ask" whose English dialectical and Scots form
"aks" is the earlier one?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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