Kilted Etymologies

**Woodsman** · 14th January 08, 09:43 PM

This verb is classified as "apparently of Scandanavian origin" on account of Danish kilte meaning "to tuck up", ON kilting "skirt".

Being part Swedish I was always interested in the Scandanavian origins for kilt. But I suspect it was more rooted in a woman's skirt than in a gentleman's kilt. A blue and yellow Swedish tartan would be nice.

**Galician** · 14th January 08, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by TheKiltedWonder

I have total dialect jealousy now. That's a really old plural form (the -en) ending but it's so rare (used with "oxen" and um..."oxen")

Uhhh, wouldn't "man" and "men" fall into this declension pattern?

**Riverkilt** · 14th January 08, 08:49 AM

And as the language continues to evolve we now call kilts "babe magnets."

Ron

**TheKiltedWonder** · 14th January 08, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by Galician

Uhhh, wouldn't "man" and "men" fall into this declension pattern?

Good guess, but nope! This change is due to umlaut (Any German students ay be confused since the dots over ä, ö, ü are also called umlauts). To very much under-describe it, umlaut is vowel change. In German and English (and maybe other languages) it is used to mark some plurals: Man -> men. Mann -> Männer ( pronounced: Menn-er or Menn-uh); Mouse -> Mice. Maus -> Mäuse (pronounced: Moy-suh).

But brethren is the former plural of brother. It's rather archaic today though.

**Galician** · 14th January 08, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Pleater

That explains why I use hosen as the plural of hose. My father's mother spole a rather archaic English having been brought up in the wilds of Derbyshire and never went to school. We lived with my fathers parents from my being two years old until I was seven.

It would be fascinating to have a recording of her speaking. Did your family ever do that?

**Bugbear** · 13th January 08, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

You can sure seddle an argument with the OED, and if they still want to argue, you can smak them with one of the volumes. LOL! Have fun Mark.

I just realized that you might be looking at an OED on your computer or on line. Smacking someone with a volume of the OED wouldn't make sense in that case. Back in the day, LOL, the OED was several volumes of print. I kind of remember when they started coming out with software versions, but I was never able to use one. I would always have to go to the university lybrary with someone to look up stuff and read. Must be nice.

**Paul Henry** · 14th January 08, 03:05 AM

slightly off topic I know, but I think of interest!!
historically at least

Child = 1
Childer = 2
Children = 3 or more

**TheKiltedWonder** · 14th January 08, 04:09 AM

Originally Posted by paulhenry

slightly off topic I know, but I think of interest!!
historically at least

Child = 1
Childer = 2
Children = 3 or more

Interesting indeed! I've never seen that, but I think if I remember correctly, Old English had a dual verb form used for two people in addition to the plural form, so it would make sense that they might have a seperate dual form for the nouns.

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 13th January 08, 01:41 PM

I love it! Thanks. And not wishing to start a debate, BUT "rags", as used here, may simply refer to clothes in the general sense. Rather like persons engaged in the fashon industry refer to it as "the rag trade". May have to rush to my OED and look up rags....

**Bugbear** · 16th January 08, 09:18 AM

Oh dear... I'm having "English Major" flashbacks from reading this thread. The hours and hours of walking the halls of ASU... what was the name of that building, "Normal building," I can't take the pressure man, I'm going to crack.