--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Erik Smit" <cuergomamotorist@...> wrote:
>
> Beautiful is in the Dutch language "mooi". In German beautiful is
> schoen and in Flemish "schoon".
>
> The word "mooi"is a typical word from the north of the Netherlands.
> It is used in German coast countries like Oldenburg, Sleeswijk-
> Holstein till the Danish border. It does not exist in the Scandina-
> vian language. It is not related to any language with exception
> of the Baltic-Slavic word "muitd" means washed. Who can give
> more information about the origin of the Dutch word "mooi"?
>
I hesitated to reply because I can't really give much more information
than you've already said, but for what it's worth, here's what Carl
Darling Buck says in his "A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the
Principal Indo-European Languages":
"Du. mooi, MDu. moy, MLG mo:i(e), prob. through "neat" from "washed"
(Gmc mauja-): ChSl myti "wash", MLG muten "wash the face", Lith.
maudyti, Lett mauda:t "bathe"", with reference to J. Franck,
Etymologisch Woodenboek der nederlandsche Taal, 2de Druk, door N. van
Wijk, and to Kuhn's Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung 48.156
I would add that I think it more likely that the progression was
"washed" > "clean" > ("fine, shining, brilliant" >) "beautiful",
rather than through "neat" which (in English at least) is never
associated with washing.
You say "schoon" is Flemish. Is it not used at all in the
Netherlands, perhaps with another meaning?
Andrew