Etymology

The interpretation of this word depends on how the phrase it occurs in is read in the Gaw MS (‘Thenne watz hit lif vpon list to lyþen þe houndez’): (1) The MS is usually read <lif vpon list> and some editors have tried to make sense of this opaque and unparalleled idiom (Madden, Morris, TG, Jones). Most, however, take it as an error for <list vpon lif> (GDS, TGD, AW etc.), 'joy on earth' (TGD 1719ff n), and identify list with MED's sense (2) 'pleasure, joy, enjoyment' (see further lyste). (2) A more attractive interpretation, however, follows from Vant's reading of the MS phrase as <lof vpon list> 'pleasing to (the) ear' (Vant 1719n), identifying lof with MED's lēf < OE lēof 'dear, vauled, pleasing, agreeable' (though it would be preferable still to read <lef>, a more defensible variant in the Gaw scribal dial which does not otherwise show <o> as a reflex of OE /e:o/; see GDS Dial §30). ME list 'hearing as one of the five senses, the faculty of hearing; the ear as an organ of hearing' is then derived straightforwardly from OE hlyst 'sense of hearing; listening' (< PGmc *hlusti-; cp. OIcel, OS hlust, OFris hleste) and this provides a good match for the sense in context.

PGmc Ancestor

(1) *lust-i- or *lustjan-; (2) *hlusti-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

(1) lyst ‘lust, desire’, lysta v. 'one desires, wishes (impers.)'

 
(ONP (1) lyst (sb.), lysta (2) (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

(1) Far lyst, Icel lyst, Norw lyst, Dan lyst, MSw lyst, lust, Sw lust; Far lysta, Icel lysta, Norw lysta, Dan lyste, Sw lysta

OE Cognate

(1) cp. (ge)lystan (v.)  ‘to please, cause pleasure or desire, provoke longing’ (impers.); (2) hlyst ‘sense of hearing; listening’ 

 

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

DD2

Attestation

(1) ME list ‘desire’ (etc.) is first cited by MED from LB.Cal, and is widespread from the 14c., incl. occurrences in Pe in the sense ‘pleasure’ required by Gaw 1719.  (2) ME list ‘hearing, ear’ is attested across the ME period from a variety of dial.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Gaw 1719

The Gaw MS is usually read <lif vpon list>, but Vant (1719n) observes that under ultra-violet light the first word actually appears to read <lof> (see further Etymological discussion).

Bibliography

Dance list; (1) de Vries lyst; lysta, Mag. lyst, Bj-L. lyst, Bamm. 157–8, Orel *lustuz ~ *lustaz; *lustjanan ~ *lustōjanan, Kroonen *lustu-, MED list (n.2) , MED listen (v.1) , OED list (n.4) , OED list (v.4) , OED lust (n.) , AEW lust; lystan; (2) MED list (n.1) , OED list (n.1) , Orel *xlustiz, Kroonen *hlusti-, AEW hlyst