LINGUIST List 7.1268

Thu Sep 12 1996

Qs: Lgs of Philippines, Hebrew

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. Carolyn Brewer, Lgs of Philippines
2. "PXX06625niftyse", Hebrew

I'm a new member to this group. My background is in religious and
feminist studies, and my current doctoral research is an historical
study into the impact on women priestesses (baylans or catalonans) by
hispanic catholicism in the Philippines. I have a question for the
list, and since my disciplines do not normally involve 'linguistics' I
hope you'll bear with me..

My question about the way that certain words to do with animist
religious practitioners have disappeared from the languages of the
archipelago. This is not a simple horizontal replacement of one word
for another for example baylan - sacerdotisa (shaman to priestess),
but rather these positive words, catalonan and baylan, have been
replaced with negative words - such as a transliteration of the
Spanish bruja [bruha] - witch.

Since this isn't my field, can anyone advise me of books or articles that
may help me theorise this phenomenon.


Carolyn
******************************************************************************
Carolyn Brewer		Email carolyncentral.murdoch.edu.au
Asian Studies		Home Phone (09) 418 3972	
Murdoch University Fax (09) 360 6367
******************************************************************************

Re: Scooters from the Holy Land

I have a question about Modern Hebrew.

The English word SCOOTER refers to two different
objects, one of them is the child's vehicle having
a low footboard with two wheels and a handlebar
attached to the front wheel for steering.
This foot-pushed scooter is a double linguistic
enigma to me, and probably to other non-native
users of Hebrew dictionaries.

The usual Modern Hebrew equivalent is KORKINET
which is said to be a French loanword, but,
apparently, there is no French source word for it.
Some dictionaries have other equivalents, namely
GALGALAYIM (which is the dual of GALGAL - wheel),
and GALGILAYIM which reminds me of GALGILIYOT,
i.e. the slightly formal word for SKETIM meaning
roller-skates. And now the questions:

1. What is the etymology of KORKINET?
2. What is the difference between
 GALGALAYIM and GALGILAYIM, and who
 used these words, when, and in what sense?
3. Is OFANIT a ghost word? If not, what does it mean?

Please, answer directly.

Thanks in advance for any hint,

Laszlo

CSERESNYESI, Laszlo
Shikoku Gakuin University
765 Kagawa-ken, Zentsuji-shi,
Bunkyo-cho 3-2-19 (JAPAN)
TEL=FAX -81-877-63 5451