At 1:41:39 PM on Tuesday, March 13, 2007, Rick McCallister
wrote:
> Francesco Brighenti <frabrig@...> wrote:
>> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister
>> <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:
>>> dug? scavare? What does digging have to do with tits?
>> English dug: 'an udder, breast, or teat of a female
>> animal' (unknown origin).
> Really, and where in the English speaking world does it
> have that meaning?
Everywhere, so far as I know; any decent dictionary will
have it. It's certainly not just a dictionary word: I'm
quite sure that I learned it as a kid simply from reading.
According to the OED (1989), it's not found before the 16th
century; the first citation is from Palsgrave (1530), 'Tete,
pappe, or dugge, a womans brest'. The editors suggest that
it might be 'radically connected with Sw. <dægga>, Da.
<dægge> "to suckle (a child)"'. SAOB s.v. <dägga> derives
this from OSw. <däggia>, corresponding to Goth. <daddjan>,
and takes it to be originally a causative from the root of
<dia> 'to suck, suckle'.
Brian