LL-L "Etymology" 2009.10.23 (01) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 23 October 2009 - Volume 01
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
 Subject: Etymology

Lowlanders,

I stumbled across another Dutch loanword in Scots. It used to be used in
English as well but there seems to have become obsolescent in the 19th
century.

The word is "doit", sometimes spelled "doyt" in Scots.

It has two basic meanings:

(1) very small, insignificant article, piece or part
(2) coin with lowest possible value

Apparently the second meaning came first. It was a Dutch coin of extremely
little value, half a farthing (or an eighth of a *stuiver*) that was
official currency in Dutch-speaking areas and in some other areas along the
Lower Rhine. In Modern Dutch it is spelled *duit*, in Middle Dutch *duyt,
deuyt, doyt, deyt*. With the same meaning it is also know in German and is
spelled *Deut* there (and has the same pronunciation as does Scots *doit*).
I have never come across it in Low Saxon of Germany and would expect it to
be **Düüt* (Dutch spelling **duut*) if it existed. So far I have not been
able to find it in Middle Saxon either.

One might be tempted to make a connection between these words and German *
deuten*, Low Saxon *d**üden* and Dutch *duiden* 'to indicate', which are
related to *deutsch*, *duits*, etc., in the sense of 'folk-ish', hence
"translate/explain to ordinary people". Instead, *duit* has been connected
with Old Norse *þveit* 'cut-off piece', 'small piece of land', 'a unit of
weight', 'a small coin', from *þvíta* 'to chop', 'to cut'.

In Britain, "doit" has been known from written records since the late 16th
century. It was preceded by the diminutive forms *doydekyn*, *doykyn*, *
dodkin*, from Middle Dutch *duytken*. In English, these diminutive forms
fell into disuse after around 1600 but continued to be featured in proverbs.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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