Re: Bleicheröde -> (Blicero) -> Blicker?

[Michael J. Hußmann]

jbor at bigpond.com (jbor at bigpond.com) wrote:

> The German word for mortal is "sterblich" 
> (mortality = "Sterblichkeit"), so I'd guess that's deriving from the 
> Early German nickname Pynchon refers to.

My first reaction was "Huh?" Then I realized that you may have analyzed
"sterblich" as "ster-blich" and seen a resemblance between "blich" and
"blicker" (or "bleich" etc.). However, "sterblich" is derived from the
verb "sterben" (to die), with "-lich" being a suffix turning it into an
adjective. "sterb-lich" means "being subject to death" -- it doesn't
capture most of the other meanings of "mortal", btw --, but "sterblich"
containing "blich" is merely incidental. The suffix "-keit" turns the
adjective into a noun: "Sterblichkeit" is the condition of being subject
to death.

Again, the "Early German nickname" is probably Pynchon's invention. Just
like the Zone in GR is not (intended as) a realistic picture of Germany,
Pynchon's made-up Early German isn't safe to use in any real world
etymologies.

The problem with the sequence of "Blicker, Bleicheröde, Bleacher,
Blicero" is that "Bleicherode" isn't "Bleicher-ode" but "Bleiche-rode"
-- "-rode" is a common element of place names referring to
deforestation. Enzian may have been entitled to see a connection here,
but we are not.

- Michael


Michael J. Hußmann

E-mail: michael at michael-hussmann.de
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