LL-L "Etymology" 2005.05.15 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 15.MAY.2005 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2005.05.14 (06) [E]

Dear Frank

Subject: Etymology

> The English word 'corf' is intriguing me. It is already found in Middle
> English, and a loan from or Middle Dutch 'corf' and or Middle Low German
> 'korf'. What's fascinating me, is the very specific meaning of ME 'corf',
> a
> basket used in a (coal)mine, while afaik MDutch and MLGerman 'korf' can be
> a
> basket used for any kind of purpose. Later on, the meaning of English
> 'corf'
> evolved 'wagon'.

> All this makes me wonder if Flemish/Dutch/Low German speaking
> mineworkers/architects (?) were active in Britain, i can't think of
> another
> way the word could have entered ME. Could anybody shed some light and give
> some more details?

This is most absorbing. Mind you, is the word as old as Middle English? I
know that Queen Elisabeth I had German miners from Joachimsthahl, 'Allemans'
brought over to 'fossick' (versoek) & mine for copper & calamine & zinc ore,
for brass. Corf, BTW, is used in Afrikaans for a bee-hive, the manufactured
kind. This is a borrowing from when we made beehives out of basketwork,
crushed rush, actually. Wild bees are said to have 'nests'.

Yrs,
Mark

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