Words from Middle Low German
5 words in Curio passed through Middle Low German on their way into English.
About Middle Low German
A developmental stage of Low German, descended from Old Saxon · an earlier stage of a language still spoken today
Where
The north of Central Europe → a lingua franca across the northern half of Europe during the Hanseatic period
When
Speakers
No reliable count
No census of its speakers exists.
Family path
- Middle Low German
- Middle DutchLow GermanMiddle English
- English
Where it came from
Middle Low German developed from Old Saxon in the Middle Ages and has been documented in writing since about 1225 to 1234, with the Sachsenspiegel. During the Hanseatic period, from about 1300 to about 1600, it was the leading written language in the north of Central Europe. It was used alongside medieval Latin for diplomacy and for deeds.
Source: Wikipedia
Family
Middle Low German grew out of Old Saxon.
The words, A to Z
- freight
A word that once meant simply 'what a ship is fully stocked with' now carries the whole weight of the world's cargo.
- muffin
This everyday breakfast bread traces back to a tiny German cake nobody quite agrees on the shape of.
- mulberry
This dark, dripping fruit's name is a little linguistic tangle of Latin and Germanic roots.
- paltry
Something so worthless it might as well be made of rags.
- scone
This teatime staple's name may trace back to either fine flour or a humble mouthful.