tare (verb and adj.), tarer -- antedatings?

Joel S. Berson Berson at ATT.NET
Wed Dec 28 18:20:44 UTC 2011


"tare" the verb, from 1812, seems rather late compared to "tare" the
noun, from 1486.

1)  1598.  Linschoten, Jan Huygen van.  Iohn Huighen van Linschoten.
his discours of voyages into ye Easte & West Indies : Deuided into
foure bookes.  London, [1598].  The fourth Booke.  Page [451].

"The Salinas (that is, the salt landes) belonging to the Crowne of
Spaine, are yearly tared to pay unto y king ninety three Quentos."

"Tare", v.  Seems to mean "assessed, taxed".

2)  1674.  Reports of cases in law and equity: from 1670 to 1796.  By
... Richard Freeman.  In the Savoy: Printed by Henry Lintot,
1742.  De Term. Paschae 1674 / In Communi Banco.  Page 156 [p. 507 in pdf].

"King versus Gogle. In C. B.
"Debt upon a Bond. The Defendant pleads, that it was conditioned for
Performance of Covenants in Indentures; and pleads Performance.
     The Plaintiff replies, that one Covenant was to pay so much
Money as should be tared by the Judge of the Spiritual Court.
     The Defendant rejoins, that the Judge tared nothing at all."

"Tare", v.  The meaning is obscure to me.  (For your amusement,
download this as "Plain text" and see what GBooks makes of Gothic type.)

3)  ? 1740?  Definitely 18th century (probably not
earlier).  Archives of Maryland: Volume 42.  Snippet, thus no
reliable date.  GBooks says 1740, but I can't tell you why.  The
reference to "one Shilling Currency" (that is, the shilling of
Maryland as opposed to sterling) dates this to the colonial period.

"And be it further Enacted, That all Flour, Bread, and other Cask in
which any of the Country Produce aforesaid is contained, or intended
to be sold or shipped off, shall be packed in well-seasoned Casks,
and be justly and truly tared on the Bulge thereof, on the Penalty of
one Shilling Currency, and every Barrel or Cask that shall appear on
Trial to be tared above Four Pounds over and above ...

"Tare", v.

4)  1753.  Laws of the Stanneries of Cornwall, Made at the
Convocation or Parliament of Tinners, at Truro, Sept. 13, Anno 27[o]
Geo. II.  Printed by Order of the Convocation.  Apparently undated,
but 27 George II is 1752 or 1753.  The Contents page refers to
"Convocation held at Truro, &c. 1752".  GBooks asserts 1753 for the
publication.  Page 16.

"9. We find that if any of the tin be tared, [? adj.] wherein the
owner of the tin thinketh himself aggrieved, he mail have his tryal
by a jury of tinners, if he requireth the fame; and if the tin so
tared, [? adj.] prove defective to the full value assessed by the
inquisition, the owner of that tin shall pay the cost of that jury,
and make abatements to the agents, according to the defects of the
tin; but if the tin be not found faulty to the value assessed by the
tarer, then the' person or persons that so take upon him or them to
assess such tare upon the tin for the tinner, shall pay the cost of
the jury, and damage to be levied by fieri facias from the steward of
the Stannary where the tin is so tared. [? verb]"

"Tarer", postdates 1625.  (The OED definition fits this context
closely -- "An assay-officer of the stannaries, who ascertained the
amount of dross or foreign matter in the tin.").  And perhaps "tarer"
is no longer obsolete -- is the market employee who allows on the
scale for the tare, a tarer?

Here I think "tared" is used both as a verb and an adjective.

"Tared", adj., antedates 1854.  Seems to fit the OED's "tared adj. of
which the tare or weight when empty has been ascertained.".

"Tared", v.:  Is the meaning somewhat variant from the OED's "To
ascertain, allow for, or indicate the tare of."?

Joel

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