Q: A (or several) "housen" in 1747?

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>Hm. So, today's "housing" in this sense began life as an eggcorn for "housen"?

The dictionaries show "house"/"housing" referring to a horse-cover as
etymologically a different word (see "holster", says MW3) from
"house"/"housing" referring to buildings.

But "housen" is an old not-uncommon alternative plural of "house" =
"building". Maybe just the ending was transferred? Or maybe there was a
parallel alternative plural of the other "house"? Or maybe it's just
"housen" = "housin'"? Or ...? I suppose you'd have to know a lot more than
I do about the English of the old days, even to make a good guess.

-- Doug Wilson


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