Borges interview in Le Monde Diplomatique

[CyrusGeo at netscape.net]

Michel Ryckx <michel.ryckx at freebel.net> wrote:

>The new Monde Diplomatique features a 1978 interview with Borges, printed for the first time (pp.
>24-25).
>
>Very small quote: 'Observez le mot saxon bleich, qui signifie incolore.  Il a évolué dans deux sens
>opposés.  En espagnol vers blanc (blanco) et en anglais vers noir (black)'
>
>'Take a look at the saxon word bleich, meaning uncoloured.  It evolved into two opposed meanings.
>In Spanish into white and in English into black.'

Well, Michel, please excuse my fastidiousness, but it seems Mr. Borges is not so correct on this one. According to the OED, *black* and *blake* (meaning pale, pallid, wan, denoting absence of colour) are in fact derived from different, though similar, roots. *Blake* does come from the Old High German *bleich*, Old Teutonic *blaiko* (pale, shining, white). *Black*, on the other hand, comes from Old High German *blah* or *blach*. The Old Teutonic root was *bloeko* or *blako* or *blakko*, meaning burnt, scortched. The reason for the mix-up between the two is, firstly, that both derivations ultimately have the meaning of *absence of colour* (one reverting to white, the other to black), and, secondly, a long vowel was used in some Old English poems for the word *blac* or *blacan*, meaning black, thus confusing it with *blac* (with an accentuated a'), meaning white, shining.

God, I hope that helped.

Best regards

Cyrus


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