http://blog.oup.com/2011/10/wife/ Academic insights for the thinking world. Sun, 19 May 2013 15:31:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://blog.oup.com/2011/10/wife/#comment-233935 Abigail Quart Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:45:37 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=18858#comment-233935 I like it. Whatdya got for "fizgig"? I like it. Whatdya got for “fizgig”?

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2011/10/wife/#comment-233916 Fabio Bart Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:04:16 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=18858#comment-233916 In Scots there is also "old wifey", a sort of term of endearment used when speaking about any old woman, whether married or not. In Scots there is also “old wifey”, a sort of term of endearment used when speaking about any old woman, whether married or not.

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2011/10/wife/#comment-233830 Douglas Fear Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:02:12 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=18858#comment-233830 I am not convinced by your comparison between a pronoun and the noun 'wife' at all (I miss the parallels - do you have any?). Nice try, though. You did not mention, with regard to the Tocharian etymology (if we may call it that in 'shorthand'), that Old English has wifmann (with /i:/) and - allegedly at any rate - waepman(n), the one being 'female servant' vel sim. and the other being 'man' proprie dictu. The point being that Toch. B kwipe and OE wif could well go back to a noun simply meaning 'genital (area)' or similar. The etymology still has its problems, of course. I suppose (as usual) that we will all have to keep trying. I am not convinced by your comparison between a pronoun and the noun ‘wife’ at all (I miss the parallels – do you have any?). Nice try, though. You did not mention, with regard to the Tocharian etymology (if we may call it that in ‘shorthand’), that Old English has wifmann (with /i:/) and – allegedly at any rate – waepman(n), the one being ‘female servant’ vel sim. and the other being ‘man’ proprie dictu. The point being that Toch. B kwipe and OE wif could well go back to a noun simply meaning ‘genital (area)’ or similar. The etymology still has its problems, of course.
I suppose (as usual) that we will all have to keep trying.

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2011/10/wife/#comment-233812 Marc Leavitt Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:02:11 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=18858#comment-233812 A fascinating subject. I would enjoy reading your take on wer(vir) for man; its origins and path through English. It only seems to survive today in werewolf. A fascinating subject. I would enjoy reading your take on wer(vir) for man; its origins and path through English. It only seems to survive today in werewolf.

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2011/10/wife/#comment-233810 John Cowan Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:43:16 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=18858#comment-233810 <i>Wife</i> still means 'woman' in Scots. Wife still means ‘woman’ in Scots.

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