LL-L "Etymology" 2014.05.18 (01) [EN]

[Lowlands-L]

=====================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L - 18 May 2014 - Volume 01
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: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Dear Lowlanders,

I believe it is fair to posit the general Germanic root of the verb complex
“to bake” (both transitively and intransitively) as **bak-*.



In Low Saxon ("Low German") and in Low-Saxon-influenced German varieties, (*
*bak-* >) *backen* has the additional (also transitive and intransitive)
meaning “to adhere”, “to stick”. I wonder if this is unique to these
varieties or if there is a similar situation in other varieties as well.



The *Herkunftsduden* suggests that *backen* originally referred to the
firing of tiles and bricks, perhaps pottery as well, and only later spread
to the cooking of baked good, and there is the implication that the meaning
“to stick” developed with regard to sticky clay.



I am curious because baking bread may be the most ancient activity of
baking dough, most likely baking of flat bread, something that has been
done throughout most of Eurasia and in fact throughout most of the world.



In some Turkic language varieties, “to bake” and “to stick” can be
expressed with the same verbs. This appears to be based on the (apparently
Persian-derived) Middle Eastern, Central Asian and South Asian practice of
sticking disks of dough to the walls of a (*tandur* >) *tanur* (~ *tanoor*)
oven for baking breads like *nân* and *pita*. (See attached picture.) So,
for instance in Uyghur (a Turkic language of Eastern Turkestan in Western
China and in other parts of Eastern Central Asia) the verb *yaq-* by itself
means something like “to stick or slap something onto something”, but also
“to light”, “to fire” or “to roast”. Specifically, *nan yaqmaq* (نان ياقماق,
нан йақмақ) means ‘to bake bread’.



Your input would be appreciated.



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/20140518/8fd7d18e/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: tanoor.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 64833 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20140518/8fd7d18e/attachment.jpg>