In European continental Freemasonry the word "loge" is used. Generally
it is supposed to derive from "lodge". I once read another explication
in that it is derived from an oriental word "logon". Can this be
right?

Dear nosam-ga;

Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question.

According to the Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford
University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4) and A Dictionary of First Names,
(Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192800507) the name/word LOGE can be
traced to a variety of originating sources depending on which language
one is referring to:

?Dutch: nickname from Middle Dutch logghe ?heavy?.
 
German: topographic name from log ?marshy ground?, or a habitational
name from Loga or Logum, derived from the same word.
 
Possibly Norwegian, a habitational name from any of several farmsteads
in southeastern Norway, from the earlier form Leikvin (see Loken).
 
French: topographic name for someone living in a small cottage or
temporary dwelling, from Old French loge ?lodge?. Stonemasons in
particular lived in such dwellings while engaged on major construction
projects such as churches or cathedrals, and the surname may therefore
in some cases may have denoted a mason.
 
French: habitational name from any of the places in northern France
called La Loge or Les Loges, derived from a Germanic word laubja ?(hut
covered with) leaves?.?

ANCESTRY.COM
http://www.ancestry.com/search/SurnamePage.aspx?html=b&ln=Loge&sourcecode=13304


----------------------
The word ?loge? is also used in Theater to denote a balcony or mezzanine.

MORE WORDS
http://www.morewords.com/word/loge/

----------------------

Through ONELOOK the term is found in 24 notable dictionaries, none of
which indicate that the word is derived from any Asian or ?oriental?
word origin.

ONELOOK
http://www.onelook.com/?loc=rescb&lang=all&w=loge

At the same time, the word ?logon? appears in 18 different
dictionaries and none of them indicate that the word resulted in a
later use of the term ?loge?.

ONELOOK
http://www.onelook.com/?w=logon&ls=b

----------------------

The oldest form of the word ?logon? can be readily traced back to 250
BC. It is a Greek word meaning ?expression of intelligence?, as in the
phrase ?eusemon logon?, which interpreted means, ?easily understood?.
This could very well be an explanation for how a balcony or mezzanine
got the name "loge", since words may have been better understood from
such a vantage point. This of course is speculation but it does indeed
make a great deal of sense.

WEBSTERS ONLINE
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/english/lo/logon.html

Later variations of the word ?logon? subsequently appeared in other
languages such as Latin (405 AD), Old English (990 AD), Middle English
(1395), Renaissance English (1526), Jacobean English (1611), and
Victorian English (1833) but there is no mention of such a word of
Asian or ?oriental? (East Indian, etc) origin from which the word
?loge? is derived.

In summary, the term ?loge? is defintely Greek in origin and is an
ancient word in its own right, without need of historical etymology
from any Asian languages.

I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES

DOCTRINE OF TONGUES
http://www.lvggc.com/pdf-pamphlets/doctrine%20of%20Tongues.pdf
(Page 13)

LOGE
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/LOGE


SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


SEARCH TERMS USED:

LOGON

ETYMOLOGY

ORIGIN

WORD

LODGE

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Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 10 Jan 2005 13:33 PST

Perhaps it is also important to know that the 250 BC word "loge" I was
referring to is a transliteration of this original Greek word:

http://www.newcovpub.com/gr/loge_greek.gif

regards;
tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 10 Jan 2005 14:27 PST

To clarify, my intent was to show that the word LOGON, seen here:

WEBSTERS ONLINE
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/english/lo/logon.html

. . .is an ancient word itself, and does not, as far as I have been able to tell:

1) Originate from any Asian/Oriental word 

2) Have any direct connection to the origin of the word LOGE as you
suggested you might have heard, shown here:

LOGE
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/LOGE
http://www.newcovpub.com/gr/loge_greek.gif

It's very difficult to prove a negative but I hope this clears it up
better for you. If I find anything else I'll post it here for you.

regards;
tutuzdad-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by nosam-ga on 18 Jan 2005 06:01 PST

Thank yoy for your extensive answer. I think I should have been more
specific in my question. The source from which it arises is an old
Dutch booklet of 1867 where the following sentence can be read (in my
translation into English): "The word Loge is a corruption of the
oriental Logon which means world, universe; this derivation is -
considering the relationship between Sanskrit, Greek and Latin, from
which the new languages have been formed - by no means far-fetched."
Could you use this in your research?
Kind regards.

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Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 18 Jan 2005 06:27 PST

The phrase "oriental word" is far too ambiguous to consider, as there
are hundreds of "oriental" languages and dialects (and if you consider
ancient languages and dialects, perhaps thousands). I think the
statement you provided though clearly demonstrates (if not confirms)
the relationship to both Dutch and Greek affiliation of the word as
indicated in my earlier research.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga