F. Melville on mon 14 apr 97
According to 'Origins, A short Etymological Dictionary of Modern
English' by Eric Partridge, the word 'pitcher' derives from the same root as
'peck', you know, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper...." I quote:
Peck: a measure of weight, ME from OF 'pek' is akin to pitcher, ME 'picher',
OF 'pichier', app ( p for b) via OGmc from LL 'becarium (cf E 'beaker): cf
MF-F 'picotin', a peck, MF 'picote', a wine measure, ML 'picotinus, a grain
measure, ML 'picotus', a liquid measure: cf also OHG 'bikeri', a pitcher,
and OF 'bichet', a grain measure, 'pichet', a salt measure, OF-EF 'pichier',
a liquid measure:mdfn (p for b) of syn OF-MF 'bichier: LL 'becarium'
probably derives from Gr 'bikos', a wine-vase.....
Well, there you have it!
Francoise, who who suffers from verbophilia,
F. Melville
Indalo Pottery
P.O. Box 95
Port Edward, B.C.
Canada V0V 1G0
Email:fmelvill@mail.kaien.com
http://members.tripod.com/~indalopottery/index.html
David G Brown on mon 14 apr 97
Hi Ric,
Saw your note about the word pitcher. The Middle English version was
derived from Old French which was derived from Mediaevil Latin which came
from Greek.The French, pichier, and the Italian, bicchierre, are more like
the English than are the Latin, bicarium, and Greek, bikos (wine jar). The
oldest use of the word I found was the Middle English from 1290, " For a
lof and a picher wyn: Mi wif me sende ech day.".
So much much for dry knowledge, lets hear the story!
David in Redwood City
Ric Swenson on tue 15 apr 97
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> According to 'Origins, A short Etymological Dictionary of Modern
>English' by Eric Partridge, the word 'pitcher' derives from the same root as
>'peck', you know, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper...." I quote:
>
>Peck: a measure of weight, ME from OF 'pek' is akin to pitcher, ME 'picher',
>OF 'pichier', app ( p for b) via OGmc from LL 'becarium (cf E 'beaker): cf
>MF-F 'picotin', a peck, MF 'picote', a wine measure, ML 'picotinus, a grain
>measure, ML 'picotus', a liquid measure: cf also OHG 'bikeri', a pitcher,
>and OF 'bichet', a grain measure, 'pichet', a salt measure, OF-EF 'pichier',
>a liquid measure:mdfn (p for b) of syn OF-MF 'bichier: LL 'becarium'
>probably derives from Gr 'bikos', a wine-vase.....
>
> Well, there you have it!
>
>Francoise, who who suffers from verbophilia,
>F. Melville
>Indalo Pottery
>P.O. Box 95
>Port Edward, B.C.
>Canada V0V 1G0
>
>Email:fmelvill@mail.kaien.com
>http://members.tripod.com/~indalopottery/index.html
-------reply-------------
I had several answers to the origin of the word "pitcher" contest.
The "story" I had heard about the words origins were told to me by a tour
guide at the Victoria B.C re-production of Will Shakespeare's home. The
guide told us that in the dark ages folks who could not afford a metal or
crockery vessel for water or wine or beer at table would use a bit of
leather left over from "ol bossy " and fashion a vessel of that. It
would not hold liquids well until they had coated the inside of the vessel
with tree "pitch". Sounded like a charming story...and that it probably
is......just a folktale?
Enjoy.
Ric Swenson, Bennington, Vermont
rswenson@bennington.edu
stevemills on thu 17 apr 97
In message , Ric Swenson
writes
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> According to 'Origins, A short Etymological Dictionary of Modern
>>English' by Eric Partridge, the word 'pitcher' derives from the same root as
>>'peck', you know, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper...." I quote:
>>
>>Peck: a measure of weight, ME from OF 'pek' is akin to pitcher, ME 'picher',
>>OF 'pichier', app ( p for b) via OGmc from LL 'becarium (cf E 'beaker): cf
>>MF-F 'picotin', a peck, MF 'picote', a wine measure, ML 'picotinus, a grain
>>measure, ML 'picotus', a liquid measure: cf also OHG 'bikeri', a pitcher,
>>and OF 'bichet', a grain measure, 'pichet', a salt measure, OF-EF 'pichier',
>>a liquid measure:mdfn (p for b) of syn OF-MF 'bichier: LL 'becarium'
>>probably derives from Gr 'bikos', a wine-vase.....
>>
>> Well, there you have it!
>>
>>Francoise, who who suffers from verbophilia,
>>F. Melville
>>Indalo Pottery
>>P.O. Box 95
>>Port Edward, B.C.
>>Canada V0V 1G0
>>
>>Email:fmelvill@mail.kaien.com
>>http://members.tripod.com/~indalopottery/index.html
>
>-------reply-------------
>
>
>
>I had several answers to the origin of the word "pitcher" contest.
>
>The "story" I had heard about the words origins were told to me by a tour
>guide at the Victoria B.C re-production of Will Shakespeare's home. The
>guide told us that in the dark ages folks who could not afford a metal or
>crockery vessel for water or wine or beer at table would use a bit of
>leather left over from "ol bossy " and fashion a vessel of that. It
>would not hold liquids well until they had coated the inside of the vessel
>with tree "pitch". Sounded like a charming story...and that it probably
>is......just a folktale?
>
>Enjoy.
>
>Ric Swenson, Bennington, Vermont
>rswenson@bennington.edu
Actually Ric, not such a folktale, there is a historical tradition of
making leather drinking/pouring vessels which were coated with pitch on
the inside, a traditional leather worker I shared a workshop with used
to make them. A great advantage when dropped during a hard session --
they don't break!!!
Steve
--
Steve Mills
@Bath Potters Supplies
Dorset Close
Bath
BA2 3RF
UK
Tel:(44) (0)1225 337046
Fax:(44) (0)1225 462712
Cindy on thu 17 apr 97
According to the Arcade Dictionary of Word Origins, "pitcher" is a
derivative of the word "beaker": //The immediate source of beaker was Old
Norse bikarr. It is widespread in the West Germanic languages and it seems
likely that Old Norse acquired it from Old Saxon bikeri. But it was
borrowed into prehistoric West Germanic from medieval Latin bicarius, which
in turn goes back to Greek bikos 'earthenware jug' (ultimate source of
English pitcher).//
Cindy Strnad
Custer, SD
> >> According to 'Origins, A short Etymological Dictionary of
Modern
> >>English' by Eric Partridge, the word 'pitcher' derives from the same
root as
> >>'peck', you know, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper...." I
quote:
> >>
> >>Peck: a measure of weight, ME from OF 'pek' is akin to pitcher, ME
'picher',
> >>OF 'pichier', app ( p for b) via OGmc from LL 'becarium (cf E 'beaker):
cf
> >>MF-F 'picotin', a peck, MF 'picote', a wine measure, ML 'picotinus, a
grain
> >>measure, ML 'picotus', a liquid measure: cf also OHG 'bikeri', a
pitcher,
> >>and OF 'bichet', a grain measure, 'pichet', a salt measure, OF-EF
'pichier',
> >>a liquid measure:mdfn (p for b) of syn OF-MF 'bichier: LL 'becarium'
> >>probably derives from Gr 'bikos', a wine-vase.....
> >>
> >> Well, there you have it!
> >>
> >>Francoise, who who suffers from verbophilia
> >I had several answers to the origin of the word "pitcher" contest.
> >
> >The "story" I had heard about the words origins were told to me by a
tour
> >guide at the Victoria B.C re-production of Will Shakespeare's home.
The
> >guide told us that in the dark ages folks who could not afford a metal
or
> >crockery vessel for water or wine or beer at table would use a bit of
> >leather left over from "ol bossy " and fashion a vessel of that. It
> >would not hold liquids well until they had coated the inside of the
vessel
> >with tree "pitch". Sounded like a charming story...and that it probably
> >is......just a folktale?
> >
> >Enjoy.
> >
> >Ric Swenson, Bennington, Vermont
> >rswenson@bennington.edu
> Actually Ric, not such a folktale, there is a historical tradition of
> making leather drinking/pouring vessels which were coated with pitch on
> the inside, a traditional leather worker I shared a workshop with used
> to make them. A great advantage when dropped during a hard session --
> they don't break!!!
> Steve
> --
> Steve Mills
> @Bath Potters Supplies
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