LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.29 (06) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 29 August 2006 * Volume 06
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From: 'Mark Dreyer' [mrdreyer at lantic.net]
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.29 (03) [E]

Hi Pat:

Subject: LL-L Etymology.

> Can anyone offer an explanation for the name of Washington Irving's
> eponymous hero, Deidricht Knickerbocker?
>
> The OED says the trousers were called after the character, not the other
> way round.
>
> Has it anything to do with marbles? Huey (1985, 77) says that marbles
> are a diagnostic artefact for Dutch, as opposed to English, settlements
> in New York state.

Peace to the shades of all the compliers of the great OED, & bear this point
in mind - think what a native resident of Nuwe Amsterdam would call a
traditional item of dress of those days in that community; short
knee-pants - Knietjebroeke. Then those English monoglots would torture it to
get their stiff tongues around the word, & hey presto! Knickerbockers!
'Little-knee/pants', & the American Dutch that made the garment their own.

Yrs,
Mark

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From: 'Kevin Caldwell' [kevin.caldwell1963 at verizon.net]
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.29 (03) [E]

> From: Pat Reynolds [pat at caerlas.demon.co.uk]
> Subject: LL-L
>
> Can anyone offer an explanation for the name of Washington Irving's
> eponymous hero, Deidricht Knickerbocker?
>
> The OED says the trousers were called after the character, not the other
> way round.
>
> Has it anything to do with marbles? Huey (1985, 77) says that marbles
> are a diagnostic artefact for Dutch, as opposed to English, settlements
> in New York state.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Pat

Here is a rather lengthy article on the origin of the name:

http://www.knic.com/Kn_Hist.htm

Kevin Caldwell

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