[Ads-l] Etymology of "runcible"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The OED entry contains several citations for runcible from the works
of Edward Lear. The variety suggests that "runcible" had no fixed
meaning in Lear's mind.

[Begin OED excerpt]
runcible, adj.

A nonsense word originally used by Edward Lear in runcible cat,
runcible hat, etc.

Origin: Of uncertain origin. Perhaps an arbitrary formation. Perhaps a
variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymon: rouncival adj.

Recorded earliest in runcible spoon n. at Special uses.

1870   E. Lear Owl & Pussy-cat in Our Young Folks Feb. 112   They
dined on mince and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible
spoon.

1877   E. Lear Laughable Lyrics 24   He has gone to fish, for his Aunt
Jobiska's Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!

1888   E. Lear Nonsense Songs & Stories (ed. 6) 8   His body is
perfectly spherical, He weareth a runcible hat.

1895   E. Lear Nonsense Songs & Stories (new ed.) 76   What a runcible
goose you are!

1895   E. Lear Nonsense Songs & Stories (new ed.) 77   We shall
presently all be dead, On this ancient runcible wall.
[End OED excerpt]

Garson

On Mon, May 6, 2019 at 10:51 PM Mark Mandel <mark.a.mandel at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org