[Sca-cooks] Trinsch bread

Terry Decker t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net
Tue May 20 17:19:03 PDT 2008


> Gretchen Beck wrote:
>
>> Denner and supper -- viij b. in ordiner of aill, 7 g and for toistis 
>> trinsch bread and sayes (I'm not entirely sure how to parse this, but I 
>> think it's something like  dinner and supper, -- 9 b (an amount of 
>> money), for an ordinary ration of ale 7 g, and for toasts of trencher 
>> bread and beef [DOST says say is "The part of a carcase of beef extending 
>> from the shoulder to the loin"])
>>
>> To thair disiones, Collatiounis, and efternoneis, sour breid 3 aill - 1g.
>> (To their breakfast, lunch, and gab fests, and afternoon meal, sour 
>> [Another copy of Mar & Kellie shows this as "Four" which makes more 
>> sense] bread 3 ale - 1 g.)
>>
>> I don't know how they come by the definitions, although its worth noting 
>> that DOST also has the verb trinsch as "to cut"
>
>
> I assume it's realated to the French "trancher", which means to slice. 
> Perhaps it's simply sliced bread.
>
> -- 
> Antonia di Benedetto Calvo

It's definitely related to the OF "trencheour," which, rather than "slice" 
means "to cut into."  When you get into English, as a noun, it is used to 
describe the cut (as in a fortification trench), the cutting surface, a slab 
that has been cut, or the person doing the cutting.  In this particular 
case, "trinsch" is most likely being used as an adjective describing the 
type of bread rather than to mean sliced bread.

I'm curious as to whether the term enters Scotland from England or from 
interaction with the French.

Bear




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