Re: [tied] Re: Dating Wednesday?

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 17928
Date: 2003-01-22

----- Original Message -----
From: <tgpedersen@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 1:20 PM
Subject: [tied] Re: Dating Wednesday?



> I don't understand when that High German influence should have occurred. At no time has Finnish been under High German influence that wasn't mediated through Swedish. Swedish does not have any 'mid-week'.

Well, what else could it be? The Finnish word does mean 'mid-week'. Would you rule out a sporadic Germanism? OK, it could be an independent innovation, cf. Modern Icelandic <miðvikudagur> for earlier <óðinsdagur>.

> And are saying /perjantai/ is the Finnish rendition of Swedish /fre:dag/? Any other examples of Finnish p- for loaned f- ?

From Old Swedish frja:-dagh; the Finnish <-n-> is analogical (as in <lauantai>, which has it from <sunnuntai> and <maanantai>, where it's etymological; a possible Germanic parallel is OFris. frigendei).

ON stufa --> Finn. tupa
ON (or PGmc.) naf- --> Finn. napa
PGmc. *felþu --> Finn. pelto

This substitution is found in old loans, but "Friday" is one of them.

Piotr