Re: Daredevil Dutch Demons

----------
> Van: Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...>
> Aan: Multiple recipients of list CONLANG <CONLANG@...>
> Onderwerp: Daredevil Dutch Demons
> Datum: woensdag 4 augustus 1999 3:17
>
> There's a place in New York City where the Harlem river meets the Hudson
> river.  It's called "Spuyten Duyvil".  I've always heard that _spuyten_
> is a dutch verb, "to spite", and that the area was named when an early
> Dutch settler from New Amsterdam said that he would swim the crossing "in
> spite of the devil" or "to spite the devil".  But a few minutes ago i saw
> a website that claimed that "Spuyten Duyvil" means "spitting devil".
> does anyone know which it is?
> thanks,
>
The second explanation is IMO the better one. 'In spite of' is 'ondanks' in
Dutch, so we would say 'ondanks de duivel' or something like that. Not
close to 'in spite of the devil'. 'Spuiten' means 'to spit', but very
forcefully. E.g. a firehose can 'spuit' water.


>
> -Stephen (Steg)
>
> PS - do Brooklyn and Lynbrook mean the same thing?  uhm..."broken land"
> or something is what i think i've heard.
>
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