LL-L "Etymology" 2009.09.29 (03) [DE-EN-NDS-NL]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 29 September 2009 - Volume 03
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From: clarkedavid8 at aol.com
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2009.09.29 (01) [EN

 From: Jonny <jonny.meibohm at arcor.de>
Subject: LL-L "Literature"

Dear Lowlanners,

at the moment I'm reading "The Chronicles of Clovis" by SAKI (H. H. Munro)
(I try it in English, though I have to read all of it at least twice to be
able to deal with the whole of his pitchdark humor).

One of the stories is titled 'Esmè', which is the name of a hyaena.

I wonder if this name subliminally shall mean "eat me", and, if my suspicion
is correct, where did he borrough it from? If I had to invent the same in
German (slang) I should come upon something like "Essmì" - just a hap?

Thanks in award for your answers, which may enlighten one of the darkest but
finest chapters of British black humor ;-)!

Allerbest!

Jonny Meibohm
Lower Saxony, Germany


It is quite a long time since I read his work, but I seem to remember there
is a ferret in one of his stories called "Sredny Vakhtar", which is the name
of a place in the Balkans. The ferret in question kills a young boy's
horrible aunt and then disappears into the bushes, never to be seen again.
The stories are funny but cruel. Munro himself was killed in his forties in
the First World War.

David Clarke

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From: M.-L. Lessing <marless at gmx.de>
 Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2009.09.29 (01) [EN]

Dear Jonny,

I alsways thought "Esmé" a shortening of "Esmeralda". However it seems to be
in use as a female *and* male first name.

I will try and read a little of Saki myself, his works are p.d. and it seems
wort while :-)

Hartlich

Marlou

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From: Heiko Evermann <heiko.evermann at gmx.de>
 Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2009.09.29 (01) [EN]

Hi Johnny,

> Dear Lowlanners,
>
> at the moment I'm reading "The Chronicles of Clovis" by SAKI (H. H. Munro)
> (I try it in English, though I have to read all of it at least twice to be
> able to deal with the whole of his pitchdark humor).
>
> One of the stories is titled 'Esmè', which is the name of a hyaena.
>
> I wonder if this name subliminally shall mean "eat me", and, if my
suspicion
> is correct, where did he borrough it from? If I had to invent the same in
> German (slang) I should come upon something like "Essmì" - just a hap?
>
> Thanks in award for your answers, which may enlighten one of the darkest
but
> finest chapters of British black humor ;-)!
Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esme

Heiko

----------

From: victorie.a <victorie.a at home.nl>
 Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2009.09.29 (01) [EN]

Moi Jonny,

 De Kronieken van Clovis.

 Well, neither have I.  If we even knew its sex we might give it a

name.  Perhaps we might call it Esmé.  That would do in either case.

 Esmé is een Engelse name, *m. vr.* Withycombe nuumt as eerste drager
van dizze name:

*Esmé Stuard (1542-83) *6e seigneur d’Aubigny, later hertog van Lenox,
nève van James de 6e van Schotland, wie zien moeder Franse was.

Waarschienlijk uut ‘t latijns,* aestimatus *‘geacht’.

De name gung van de hertog aover op zien zeune en kleinzeune en kreeg
daordeur vaste voet in Schotland en daorna ok in Engeland.

Tegenswoordig wördt de name veural aan maagies egeven. Ik deinke dus
daorumme, veur die hyena de name van Esmé. Kan veur beider geslachten.


Goodgaon,

Arend Victorie

Hoogeveine,

•

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