History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 112

name Swede; the OE. forms Swēōland, Swēōrīce, Sweorīce, did not survive; in early
17th-century usage, Sweden appears as the name of the people and Swedeland as
the name of the country. Swede (1614), an inhabitant of Sweden; ad. MLG., M.Du.
Swede (Du. Zweed); here also the OE. plur. form Swēōn did not survive; ON. has
Svíar, Sw. Svear, and it has been conjectured that the forms with -d-, Swede and
Sweden, arose out of ON. Svíþjóð, lit. ‘Swede people’. Swedish (1632), from Sweden
or Swede and the suffix -ish, perhaps after G. schwedisch, M.Du. swedesch,
sweets(ch), Du. zweedsch.
Easterling (1534), a native of eastern Germany or the Baltic coasts, chiefly applied to
the citizens of the Hanse towns; apparently from easter and -ling, probably after Du.
oosterling; the word is not found in English before the 16th century, but occurs as AF.
and AL. sterling(us), esterling(us), but only in the sense of ‘sterling penny’.
Overlander (a. 1548), a dweller in the uplands of a country, a highlander, spec. one
dwelling in the highlands of Germany, as opposed to a Netherlander or Low German;
apparently ad. Du. Overlander (G. Oberländer), a dweller in the Oberland or upper
country.
Switzer (1577), a native of Switzerland; ad. M.Du. Switser, Swytzer (Du. Zwitser), or
MHG. Switzer, Schwytzer.
Norse (1598), a Norwegian, the language; probably ad. Du. noorsch, a variant of
noordsch (M.Du. no(o)rdsch, no(o)rtsch), from noord, north, and -sch, -ish; MLG. had
norrisch.
1. 6.
It is impossible to specify the channel of introduction for the names of rulers, officials,
and dignitaries. The most probable is by way of political intercourse, but they could
have come in equally well by way of trade or travel.
Schepen (c. 1481), a Dutch alderman or petty magistrate; ad. Du. schepen.
Schout (c. 1481), a municipal or administrative officer in the Low Countries and the
Dutch colonies; originally the schout was the lord's bailiff in a subject town or village;
ad. Du. schout, M.Du. schout, schoutet, schoutheet. The variants schoutet, schoutheet
have given the English Scoutette, Scouttet (1534).
Scult (1548) is from the corresponding LG. schulte (MLG. schulte and schultête).
Boroughmaster (1494), a Dutch or Flemish burgomaster; similar functionaries in
other countries; probably formed in imitation of the M.Flem. burgemeester. The usual
form is
Burgomaster (1592), from Du. burgemeester; Northern F. had bourguemaistre, ad.
M.Flem. burchmeester, and it is possible that the F. is the immediate source of the
English word.
Burghermaster (1676) is from burgher and master, but the combination may have
existed already in Du. as burger and meester.

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