[101] It appears that this, and not Billy ruffian, is the form used by sailors. It would thus seem that Billy ruffian is a further popular etymology, due to ‘scholars.’
[102] See Palmer, Folk Etymology, s.v.
[103] This derivation is given in a certain well-known SCHOOL edition of Milton’s Comus: liquorice = something which makes one lick one’s lips!
[104] Braune, Goth. Gram., § 135-137.
[105] For similar interchanges of r and z (s), cf. Latin Venus, Veneris for *Venesis; arbos, arboris for *arbosis, etc.
[106] Braune, Alt-Hochdeutsche Gram., § 260 sqq.
[107] The term umlaut is more convenient than ‘modification of the vowel sound.’
[108] Noreen, Altisl. Gram., § 266, 299, 307.
[109] So, indeed, is our present nom. sing. fem. she.
[110] Murray, Dictionary, s.v. 29 c.