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mither (MAY-thur) - v.i., to fuss over or moan about something. v.t., to pester or irritate someone.
Also, a Scots variant of mother, but that's not the meaning of interest here. Used primarily in northern England. First appeared in the late 17th century, origin unknown, but compare Welsh moedrodd, to worry or bother, and meidda, to beg for whey.
---L.
Also, a Scots variant of mother, but that's not the meaning of interest here. Used primarily in northern England. First appeared in the late 17th century, origin unknown, but compare Welsh moedrodd, to worry or bother, and meidda, to beg for whey.
---L.
no subject
Date: 2013-08-05 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-08-05 08:09 pm (UTC)I am interested in that "late 17th century" bit, partly because OED3 2002 gives s.v. "mither," and gives only C19 quotations despite those C18 forms. Sloppy, OED editors, sloppy.
In my limited experience, if the word had gone from Welsh to English, the vowel would've changed more.
no subject
Date: 2013-08-05 10:17 pm (UTC)---L.