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

[Wilson Gray]

Yes, you're correct. The OED Online says much the same; one of the the
etymologies differs from MW3's, but the point is the same: two
different words fall together as one.

-Wilson

On 1/14/07, Douglas G. Wilson <douglas at nb.net> wrote:
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> Subject:      Re: Q: A (or several) "housen" in 1747?
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> >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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