Re: Cymbaly /was Re:/

[Joshua Horowitz <horowitz...>]

Like you say, Paul, the surname variants of Tsimbler are directly
connected to the occupation of tsimblist. But the word used as an insult
("Ty cymbale") doesn't mean that it designated "idiot" FIRST. It just
means that at some point, tsimbl players became the brunt of a joke, and
eventually these jokes found their way into a condensed figure of
speech. Like when somebody says something stupid at a party and someone
reponds with, "Oh you must be an accordionist". That wouldn't imply that
the word accordion first meant idiot, and then became an instrument
name, though... Josh 

> Barbara Szydlowicz-Ceglowa, in _Staropolskie instrumenty (?)_
> (1976), gives a detailed etymology of cymbaly; the term used
> for 'dulcimer' appears around the end of the 16th century. Earlier
> it was used for 'bells' and also 'harpsichord.' She doesn't mention
> anything about the association with the word that means 'simpleton.'
> I did look the latter word up in a Polish etymological dictionary,
> but don't remember the details. However, the word IS the origin
> of some Polish, Lemko, and Ukrainian family names, such as Cymbaliuk,
> Cymbal, Cymbalok, etc. It also exists in Lithuanian and Slovak. This
> is probably an example of convergence. I do that the rare Jewish name
> Zimbelman, however, derives from "tsimbler" (like "Fiedelman").
 
> Paul Gifford

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