[Sca-cooks] Harfleur 1415

[Terry Decker]

The OED is more thorough, but you might try the following Wikipedia entries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cart

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wain

The reason I say "general differentiation" is because the two terms 
represent specialized usage that has changed over time with the definitions 
becoming comingled and more general as carts and wains fell out of use.

Wain and wagon are essentially equivalent (both term, interestingly, are 
used for the Big Dipper (Ursa Major)) and may derive from a common root. 
There is one archaic useage of wain that refers to a two wheeled chariot, 
but it is in reference to a four horse hitch.  Carts, incidentally, are 
pulled by no more than two horses.

One might be able to also demonstrate the difference by considering the 
crafts of wainwright and cartwright and see how they varied under the 
medieval guild structure and laws.

Bear

>I don't doubt you, but can you find me a resource?  If I argue this, I'm
> gonna want documentation.
>
> Hey, they don't call me, "Mr. Technical," for nothing.
>
> "Well, technically...."
>
> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 6:35 PM, Terry Decker <t.d.decker at att.net> wrote:
>
>> As a general differentiation, carts have two wheels and a single axle 
>> while
>> wains usually have four wheels and two axles.
>>
>> Bear
>>
>> Wait!  I thought carts and wains were the same thing.  As in, wains are
>>> carts, carts are wains.  What's the difference?
>>> --
>>> Ian of Oertha
>>>
>>
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> -- 
> Ian of Oertha
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