LL-L "Names" 2012.04.09 (02) [EN]

[Lowlands-L]

=====================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L - 09 April 2012 - Volume 02
lowlands.list at gmail.com - http://lowlands-l.net/
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
Archive: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-08)
Language Codes: lowlands-l.net/codes.php
=====================================================


From: Andrew Laker <lakerphoto at gmail.com>
Subject: Original pronunciation of my Laker surname

Hello,

I am trying to learn more about Low Saxon pronunciation, particularly
as it may have applied to how my ancestors spoke their surname, Laker.
They hailed from the Löningen, Oldenburg, region. I first find the
name in this area in the mid-1500s as "Lake" and "Laecke." It is my
understanding that the "r" was later added to the end of the name to
denote an inhabitant of the area, which may have been a fertile marsh
along the Haas river. The name throughout most of the 1600s was
spelled Laker. In a 1728 St. Vitus Catholic Church marriage record,
the spelling "Laaker" first appears. This convention last appeared in
the church records in 1786. The name was Laker or Lacker thereon.

After the family moved to America, a Kentucky-born census taker in 1850
wrote their surname as "Loger," which is how he must have heard it.
Just two months later, the father applied for citizenship. The
document was entirely hand-written by the clerk, who wrote the alien's
name as Minard Locker. However, the immigrant signed the document
"Meinert Laker." This man had died by the 1860 census, but his wife is
once again enumerated as "Loger." Her three oldest sons had moved out
and started their own families by then, and the same census taker
enumerated them all as "Laker."

With this evidence in mind, I am assuming the name must have been
originally pronounced with the "a" being a long vowell sound, as in
the English pronunciation of "father." Today, the American family
pronounces the name just like the NBA basketball team the Los Angeles
Lakers. Could someone please confirm or deny my assumption about the
original pronunciation?

Thanks,
Andrew Laker
Columbus, Indiana

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at 6ayoo.com>
 Subject: Etymology

Hi, Andrew, and welcome to Lowlands-L!

The long "a" you are talking about is pronounced [ɒː], a low rounded vowel
that sounds like toward an "o" than the vowel in "father". In some dialects
it is indeed pronounced [oː].

The "-er" is pronounced as in the dialects of southeastern England, also as
in Australia and New Zealand. Its basic pronunciation is [ɝ], a lower mid
central unrounded vowel that is r-colored, or as non-r-colored [ɜ].

Since it is not word-initial, the "k" sound is not aspirated (i.e. is not
pronounced with a puff of breath as it is in southeastern England and in
Standard German). This may explain the misspelled form "Loger", since to
some people's ears it sounds like a [g] sound.

http://lowlands-l.net/grammar-new/

I am attaching a small sound file with my pronunciation of "Laker".

I hope this helps.

By the way, most Low Saxon dialects of the Oldenburg area, like those of
Emsland, Eastern Friesland, Groningen, Fryslȃn, and Northern Friesland,
have Frisian substrata.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

 =========================================================
Send posting submissions to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
Send commands (including "signoff lowlands-l") to
listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands.list at gmail.com
http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html .
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=118916521473498
==========================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20120409/19af050c/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Laker.wav
Type: audio/x-wav
Size: 48016 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20120409/19af050c/attachment.wav>