SC - looking for origin of the word "peel"
Jessica Tiffin
jessica at beattie.uct.ac.za
Fri Sep 8 09:46:14 PDT 2000
Stefan quoted, and then said:
> >But my question is this--what is the derivation
> >of the term "peel"?
> By this he means the wooden paddle used to move
> food into and out of medieval ovens.
The OED give about 6 different meanings, about half of them relating
to a wooden palisade, stockade or tower. I suspect the relevant
definition is this one:
^2 1. A stake.
[The usual sense in OF.] Obs. rare.
1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 2120 He Sede and clambe vpp on a pele
[v.rr. pel, peyl; rime eche dele; F. encuntre vn pel se addresce], And
hyng _eron by _e hond.
Ibid. 2166 _ou art a-cursed, _ou woste weyl,
And hange were wur_y on a peyl.
c1330 - Chron. Wace (Rolls) 4611 Longe pyles [MS. Petyt peeles; Wace
peus ferres] & grete dide _ey make; Faste yn Temese dide _ey hem
stake, Euerylkon wy_ iren schod.
Ibid. 4637 Iren-schod was ilka peel [rime ilka del].
The conceptual jump from a wooden stake to a wooden paddle doesn't
seem too huge, no?? Same root as "pell", incidentally, as in the
wooden stake fighters use to practice sword-blows on...
JdH
Lady Jehanne de Huguenin * Seneschal, Shire of Adamastor, Cape Town
(Jessica Tiffin, University of Cape Town)
Sable, three owls rising argent, each maintaining a willow slip vert.
http://users.iafrica.com/m/me/melisant/stidings.htm
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