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

[Benjamin Barrett]

Number 2 appears to actually be "taxed" (http://ow.ly/8cl8x), so perhaps number 1 is as well.

The OED says the verb is derived from the noun and also from medieval Latin, Italian, Provençal and others. Some older dictionaries, however, say it is from Italian "tarare" to subtract. Google Translate says that "tarare" today means "calibrate."

1. http://ow.ly/8cloz
Tare [tara of tarare, Ital. to subtract]
To Tare [tarare, It.]

2. http://ow.ly/8cltz
TARE [of tarare, Ital. to subtract

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

On Dec 28, 2011, at 10:20 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: tare (verb and adj.),  tarer -- antedatings?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "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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