I agree. English is for the most part West Germanic and we do have a ton of
words from Old French but English also has a surprising number of Norse
words as well. I would just like to know that number.
-William

>From: "xigung" <xigung@...>
>Reply-To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
>To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [norse_course] Re: Old Norse in English
>Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 17:26:46 -0000
>
>--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "William Calhoun"
><kubrick36@...> wrote:
> >
> > Sorry if my original question was a bit ambiguous. I meant: How
>much of
> > common English is rooted in Old Norse. It would be a bit foolish to
>search
> > all scientific names which are conventionally composed of Latin or
>Greek
> > parts. Rather, in everyday English, the Old Norse word is often the
> > preferred word in speech: we say 'die' rather than 'expire,' 'raise'
>rather
> > than 'elevate,' and 'narwhal' rather than 'Monodon monoceros.'
>Thank you
> > very much for your help. I always appreciate your input.
> > -William Calhoun
>
>
>
>I recall word counts in Jan de Vries' dictionary,
>that ought to give a good idea of approximate
>percentages. (though the counts may go the wrong
>way, I am not sure right now)
>To 'raise' from Old norse? Perhaps. But it is also
>a more general Germanic word. For example OHG risan,
>or Gothic ur-reisan.
>Also 'finger' was mentioned. But finger is also in
>all the West-Germanic dialects that I know of.
>(English being one of them) Also in Gothic figgrs.
>'Knife' might make a case more clear cut, since
>German has 'Messer' here. But Webster's list
>'knif' also as Middle Low German, and does not
>mention it as being from Norse. (OE cnif)
>Personally, I only know very few clear cut examples.
>One seems to be 'to cast'.
>
>My impression is that English is mostly West Germanic
>with a lot of French loans.
>
>Xigung
>
>
>
>
>
>
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