German language question / Kalkriese

[Jona Lendering]

In 2003, I proposed that Saltus Teutoburgiensis ought to be translated as Teutoburg Narrows, because this better fits the Kalkriese topography. Even today, driving on the B218 motor way along it, you can see that there is only a small gap between the Wiesen hills and the Great Bog. The engineers who dug the Mittelland Canal used this gap as well. I was happy to see my suggestion being accepted by Adrian Murdoch in his recent Rome's Greatest Defeat. Massacre in the Teutoburg Forest (2006).

At the western entrance of the gap is a town called Engter. This word appears to be related to modern German Enge, "narrows". I would not be surprised if there is indeed a connection, and that later generations, speaking a Low Saxon dialect, recognized the site as a gap.

The name appears to be close to Dutch engte, but I do not know enough about the difference between Low Saxon and Low Franconian languages to be certain. If there is a connection, why has the /r/ been dropped in both High German and Dutch?

Is there a linguist over here?

[Cornelius Quintus]

Ave Jona,

I’m no linguist, sorry. So I visited the homepage of the city of Bramsche to which Engter belongs today. This is what they say:

The name Engter was mentioned first in 1147 and might be interpreted as ‘Waldschlucht’ which means ‘dingle’ or ‘ravine in a forest’

(The German ‘Schlucht’ might be translated as canyon, clough, ravine, gulch or gorge…)

[Jona Lendering]

Well, that means that at least someone has had the same idea! Thanks!