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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Fugleman #170692 10/18/2007 12:42 AM Joined: May 2007 Posts: 1 LongBeachJack stranger LongBeachJack stranger Joined: May 2007 Posts: 1 I object! Sometimes the simplest explanation is the best. Why must fugleman have to be contorted to conform to a German root -- flügelmann? A more convincing etymology is from the Danish (Danish being a mother tongue of English). Fugleman would be Danish fuglemand, "birdman," or someone who flies ahead, i.e. a scout, a leader. Birds and (in ancient cultures) birdmen have always been indicators, portents, who lead the way. (Remember the marvelous old film clip of the Northwest Indians landing a canoe, led on the prow by Birdman.) Why not here? Flank man? I don't think so. Last edited by LongBeachJack; 10/18/2007 12:44 AM. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Fugleman LongBeachJack #170695 10/18/2007 3:02 AM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh Interesting hypothesis. Some observations: (1) Danish is not a "mother tongue" of English. English is a West Germanic language and Danish is a North Germanic one. English is most closely related to Frisian and more distantly to Dutch. Vikings did influence Old English during the 8th and 9th centuries CE. (2) Fugleman is cited by the OED starting in the first decade of the 19th century. One would have to explain how an Old Norse word lay dormant in English for about a millennium before surfacing again. The German word Flügelmann is appears around this time in Goethe. On the other hand, I have seen the silent ethnographic film you speak of, and it is truly impressive. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Fugleman zmjezhd #170696 10/18/2007 7:05 AM Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 8 China MosesLiang stranger MosesLiang stranger Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 8 China honcho(HON-choh) noun One who is in charge of a situation;leader;boss Vert tr.To organize,manage,or lead a project,event,etc. From Japanese honcho,from han(squad)+cho(chief). Wondering if tomorrow's AWAD will be this word. Last edited by MosesLiang; 10/18/2007 7:10 AM. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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