Re: proof that most etymologies are only fairy-tales

John Atkinson wrote:
Peter T. Daniels wrote:
On Aug 6, 11:09 am, "John Atkinson" <johna...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Peter T. Daniels wrote:
On Aug 6, 9:17 am, "Ekkehard Dengler" <ED...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

And apparently stranger things have happened. My favourite
weird-but-(probably)-true etymology is "tabby":
"al-3atta:biyya(t), a suburb of Baghdad" > "striped silk">
"striped cat" > "cat" > "spinster" > "gossip". That's quite some
distance covered in a handful of centuries.

You missed out the first step. The suburb got its name from Prince
Atta:b, the great grandson of Omeyya

? Where did it take the last two steps?

England, a couple of centuries ago (used by Byron, among others).
Though this meaning may be influenced by the woman's name Tabitha,
'tis said.

And what about "Tabby: (South Atlantic U.S.) A mixture of oyster
shells, lime, sand, and water used as a building material."

Are you suggesting that's the same lexical item?

As I said, not necessarily -- but it could well be, I suppose. Using
an Ekkehard-style argument, a wall built of cement full of oyster
shells would have a mottled appearance, like the coat of a tabby cat.
It's at least as plausible as naming the cat after the silk.

I agree (of course), but let me clarify just in case that I was not trying
to pass my ad-hoc etymologies off as real; my point was just that they
couldn't be ruled out on the basis of implausibility.

Regards,
Ekkehard


.

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