* Benct Philip Jonsson said on 2004-01-02 20:48:49 +0100
> Mark J. Reed wrote:
> > RU> The meaning of "a bit" etc. has become quite different from the meaning
> > RU> of the verb it was originally derived from, but it fascinates me to see
> > RU> that the same etymology occurs in English, German, *and* Dutch.
> >
> > Perhaps the derivation occurred before they split, or perhaps they
> > influenced each other in the process?
>
> It is probably pre-split, since it is found in the Scandinavian
> languages as well:
>
> Norwegian: bitt (IIRC, Taliesin?)
"en bit", "et bitt" is equivalent to "a bite".
t.