Germanics

[LazyPooky]

We had a talk in chat about the sentence "we're all itching to hear" and, with more things, the saying also exists in other basic Germanic languages. It's too long for the chat so I made a general thread about it. Before that, we talked about Barber - also an old word used in other Germanic languages. And, I'm also always very surprised about the word wisdom teeth, how that went from Dutch to English.

Some old dutch words/sayings are used in US English, and that's not so strange since in the early stage of the USA the British English and Dutch are a bit mixed (from 17th century). US English is kind of the way Dutch would speak English and getting better at it, speaking it along the way. Very few people speak the British way of English here.

Anyway, itching:


Sentences with the word 'itch' was very common in the 17th century in Germanic languages.
Jeukerig naar iets (itching for something), meaning: verlangend naar iets (longing for something)
Also in German: Seine Hände jucken ihm; Eng. his fingers itch to be at it; to tickle at

Mijn linkerhand jeukt mij: ik heb geld of eene erfenis te verwachten
-- My left or right hand itch: I am expecting money or an inheritance

Mijn neus jeukt mij: we krijgen wijn (only in one province used)
-- my nose itch: we get wine

Mijn spieren of handen jeuken: lust tot schrijven of tot vechten
-- My muscles or hands itch: desire to write or to fight

Mijn linkerhand jeukt mij: ik verwacht slaag óf ik zal geld moeten uitgeven
-- My left hand itch: I expect a beating, or I will have to spend money

De rug jeukt hem: hij wil geslagen worden
-- The back itch: he want to be beaten

De tanden jeuken hem, de maag jeukt hem: voedsel willen, honder hebben
-- teeth itch or stomach itch: wanting food, hungry

Mijn gat joekt mij: de boter wordt goedkoop (dan kan men veel boter eten, wat den stoelgang bevordert)
-- My asshole itch: butter is getting cheaper (eating a lot of butter, which promotes bowel movements)

Jeukende voeten: sneeuw of dooi verwachten
Feet itch: expect snow or thaw

De ooren jeuken: belust op nieuws
-- Ears itch: eager for news

source: Volkskunde, XXIII, 231; Ndl. Wdb. VII, 281 vlgg.

[chuft]

Very interesting. I wonder why those fell out of use. Do you still use "itch" to refer to a skin sensation that makes you want to scratch that spot, like a mosquito bite?

I am surprised to hear that American English is spoken there instead of British English, which is what I usually hear from foreigners. Although Indians seem to have their own version of English. They use the word "doubt" to mean "question" as in "I have a doubt about how to set up this web server." An American (or British) would use "doubt" to mean "am not convinced" as in "I doubt that is true." Similarly Indians often use unusual tenses such as "I am liking LazyTown" instead of "I like LazyTown."

But yes there are a lot of strange place names in the US because of all the influences here. "The Bronx" is a very weird sounding (to US ears) name of Dutch origin for an area of New York City, as is the Schuylkill River, another weird sounding Dutch name. A lot of peculiar names like "Mississippi" and "Tallahassee" are of Native American origin. And a lot of towns and cities are named after ones with identical names in other countries. Few Americans realize "Philadelphia," a city in the state of Pennsylvania, is named after an ancient city in what is now Turkey - it was a Greek city at the time, thus the Greek name.

[LazyPooky]

Very interesting. I wonder why those fell out of use. Do you still use "itch" to refer to a skin sensation that makes you want to scratch that spot, like a mosquito bite?

Of course, but that is a different meaning. Only the meaning of itch in the 'longing for something' has gone away in time except for the saying 'my hands itch'.

[Buzz]

Germans also say "das juckt mich nicht" (i don't care)

[LazyPooky]

"it doesn't tickle me"

[LazyPooky]

I think it's just what it is. It doesn't come from a word that sounded very similar and has slowly evolved into the usual word, but it really has to do with tickling.
In french they say: "les mains lui demangent"

The saying is probably not that old, most sayings are from the Napoleon time.

[chuft]

tickled pink