ANST - Smalls
Dennis Grace
sirlyonel at hotmail.com
Wed Jun 23 09:23:29 PDT 1999
Salut Cozyns,
Lyonel aisai.
Stefan replies to -
> > ""Smalls" (also "Halflings") refers to children. Now it seems that this
>term is
> > a serious point of contention since a myth has sprung up that the term
>"Smalls"
> > is a contraction of "Small clothes" and so we are referring to our
>children as
> > underwear. Now it is entirely true that "Smalls" is derived from
>"Smallclothes"
> > and does mean "underwear" - but not until well into the 17th century.
>"Small"
> > in the Middle Ages still referred to something that was inferior.
>"Halfling",
> > it seems, also referred to children after 1794, and meant a stripling or
> > something not fully grown. <snip>
- with:
>Thank you Diarmuit for this wonderful bit of info. As the one that started
>off
>this thread by suggesting to Lady Celeste that "children" might be a better
>choice than "smalls", I must now modify my original comment if not it's
>intent.
>I see now that "smalls" might be appropriate but may be derogatory.
Um, no. Berengaria's research demonstrates that "smalls" is not an
appropriate contraction of "small clothes" and, therefore, post-period. Her
article does *not* support the use of the word "smalls" in reference to
children.
lo vostre por vos servir
Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace
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