[Ads-l] Etymology of "runcible"

[Mark Mandel]

Runcible is generally agreed to be, in OED's definition,*

a.      [Prob. a fanciful alteration of ROUNCIVAL.] A nonsense word used by
Edward Lear in runcible cat, hat, etc., and esp. in runcible spoon, in
later use applied to a kind of fork used for pickles, etc., curved like a
spoon and having three broad prongs of which one has a sharp edge.

  “The illustrations provided by Lear himself for his book of verse give no
warrant for this later interpretation.”

But the etymology and the implication of that comment – that Lear
(1812-1888) made its definition up out of whole cloth – are flatly
disproved by the next entry:

runcinate (‘rʌnsɪnət), a. Bot. (and Ent.). [f. L. runcina a plane (formerly
taken to mean a saw).]  Irregularly saw-toothed, with their lobes or teeth
curved toward the base.

1776 J. Lee Introd. Bot. 383 Runcinatum, runcinate, like the Teeth of a
great Saw whose Serratures are bent downwards.

[...]

The *American Heritage Dictionary* (both printed fourth edition and online)
also has runcinate, with a similar etymology.

I'm writing this from home, where I've just written to M-W via their
website. I don't have online access to the full OED, who may have updated
their entry.

**OED* second edition, 1989; also

- *American Heritage Dictionary*, fourth edn. and online (
https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=runcinate)

- Merriam-Webster online (
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runcible%20spoon)


Mark Mandel

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