Friday 9 October 2009

You're a lout if you lurk

I was just wondering whether I only have 4 people reading my blog and not feeling very good about my blog when I went over to Doodles of a Journo. In her current post she is wondering about lurkers. It made me wonder... do I have any readers who do not comment - in spite of my explicit instruction? I checked the word 'lurk' out on the online etymology dictionary and found that louts lurk... lurk c.1300, lurken "to hide, lie hidden," probably from Scand. (cf. dial. Norw. lurka "to sneak away," dial. Swed. lurka "to be slow in one's work"), perhaps ult. related to M.E. luren "to frown, lurk" (see lower (v.2)). lower (v.2) (also lour), M.E. louren, luren "to frown, lurk," from O.E. *luran or from its cognates, M.L.G. luren, M.Du. loeren "lie in wait." loiter 1362 (implied in loitering), from M.Du. loteren "be loose or erratic, shake, totter" like a loose tooth or a sail in a storm. In modern Du., leuteren "to delay, linger, loiter over one's work." Probably cognate with O.E. lutian "lurk," and related to O.E. loddere "beggar," O.H.G. lotar "empty, vain," Ger. Lotterbube "vagabond, rascal," O.E. lyðre "base, bad, wicked." lout (n.) 1548, "awkward fellow, clown, bumpkin," perhaps from dialectal derivative of O.E. verb lutan "bow low," from P.Gmc. *leut- "to bow, bend, stoop" (cf. O.N. lutr "stooping"), from PIE *leud- "to lurk" (cf. Goth. luton "to deceive," O.E. lot "deceit), also "to be small" (see little). Non-Gmc. cognates probably include Lith. liudeti "to mourn;" O.C.S. luditi "to deceive," ludu "foolish." Sense of "cad" is first attested 1857 in British schoolboy slang. If you punish me for not commenting over at yours - I am busy! work work work work work.

7 comments:

BioniKat said...

Ja ja whatever! Who you calling a lout. Actually we're all stalkers! How long did it take you to look up and write out all that dictionary stuff. Now no excuses! Actually I can't complain cos you comment quite often on my blog. Just teasing. I don't mind who comments and who lurks because I'm writing to stretch myself and to get things out of my mind and into written words. Even if I dont comment know that I read all your posts.

Goblin said...

I don't lurk on purpose, honestly. I just find it's better sometimes and...stuff.

Tamara said...

Good thing I don't lurk then, hey? ;-)

AngelConradie said...

I have LOTS of lurkers!!!

Spear The Almighty said...

I read all your blog entries. I'm just so damn busy these days... I don't always have time to comment. :)

Betty said...

You mean you don't like being watched from... somewhere?

ExMi said...

i'm not a lurker.....but it is my first time here.

and look - i commented!

so therefore i'm a non-lout ;)