Kilted Etymologies

**TheKiltedWonder** · 13th January 08, 12:56 PM

Kilted Etymologies:
I've seen several etymologies for "kilt" and the rest of our favorite accessories. So I got out the OED (Ok, I just loaded the webpage). Here are some etymologies and word histories that I found interesting:

KILT: the earliest given attestation to the word as a noun is given as c1730 from Edward Burt: "Those among them who travel on Foot..vary it [the Trowze] into the Quelt..a small Part of the Plaid is set in Folds and girt round the Waste to make of it a short Petticoat that reaches half Way down the Thigh." I like the spelling

So where did the noun come from? A verb "to kilt" meaning "to gird up, to tuck up round the body", as illustrated by Burns himself in 1792 "I'll kilt my coats aboon my knee, And follow my love thro' the water." This verb is classified as "apparently of Scandanavian origin" on account of Danish kilte meaning "to tuck up", ON kilting "skirt".

So what about HOSE:
hose comes from Old English and is apparently an old Germanic word for leg-coverings, so that today German Hoserefers to trousers, while Dutch hoos refers to stockings. It is recorded as hosa in Old High German and Old Norse. It is also reconstructed as hosôn in Old Teutonic. All Romance languages with a form of the word derived it from the Germanic form.

The earliest usage listed is from around 1100. The first sentence they have is from 1206: "that aelc nome a long sax [I assume they mean the long knife] & laeiden bi his sconke with inne his hose". Interesting to see the great change in language!

On to HAGGIS:
Haggis's composition is not its only mystery

, so I will just quote the dictionary with a few abridgements. Basically, the derivation is unknown. "The analogy of most terms of cookery suggests a French source; but no corresponding French word of form has been found. The conjecture that it represents F. hachis hash has apparently no basis in fact...Whether the word is connected with hag (verb), evidence does not show.

Interestingly, the dictionary notes : "Now considered specially Scotch [sic!!!], but a popular dish in English cookery down to the beginning of the 18th c."

As for SPORRAN:
I doubt many would be surprised to know it's from Sc. Gaelic sporan meaning purse (see also Irish sparán meaning the same). What I found interesting is that the first attested usage in the English language is by Scott in Rob Roy (1818): "I advise no man to attempt opening this sporran till he has my secret."

Is this why the simple, draw-string style of sporran was dubbed the "Rob Roy sporran"? Or was it simply a marketing ploy? A little of both?

I could look up more, but I'm already afraid this is too long and most people will skip it!
Mark

**Bugbear** · 13th January 08, 01:15 PM

Interesting information, Mark. I remember the OED from back in college. It's always interesting to look at the changes in the meanings of a word over time. Sometimes you find out that you've been reading a text completely wrong because one word has changed it's meaning over time, but the pop interp of the text hasn't been challanged.

**TheKiltedWonder** · 13th January 08, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

Interesting information, Mark. I remember the OED from back in colege. It's always interesting to look at the changes in the meanings of a word over time. Sometimes you find out that you've been reading a text completely wrong because one word has changed meaning over time.

That's exactly why I like that dictionary! It's also rather conservative (not meant in any political sense) so that it still has words listed that stopped being used in the 13th Century. I always liked looking at those ones. They'd be fun to revive

I forgot to add BROGUE as another word. It comes from Irish and Gaelic brogue meaning "shoe, brogue, sandal" from Old Irish broce from Old Celtic bracca.

The interesting thing is that the English [accordig to the OED] seem to have confused the bróg with the mogan (leggings) so that at one point "broges" could mean "shoes" or "socks" in English. The earliest example given seems to be unclear as to which English meaning is being referenced: "He was no sooner come home, but awaie with his English attires, and on with his brogs, his shirt, and other Irish rags." (J. Hooker, 1586)

Its connection with "other Irish rags" makes it seem like the "socks" definition might have been intended, but you could really argue either way on it.

**Bugbear** · 13th January 08, 01:35 PM

You can sure seddle an argument with the OED, and if they still want to argue, you can smak them with one of the volumes. LOL! Have fun Mark.

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 13th January 08, 01:41 PM

I love it! Thanks. And not wishing to start a debate, BUT "rags", as used here, may simply refer to clothes in the general sense. Rather like persons engaged in the fashon industry refer to it as "the rag trade". May have to rush to my OED and look up rags....

**Pleater** · 13th January 08, 01:45 PM

That explains why I use hosen as the plural of hose. My father's mother spole a rather archaic English having been brought up in the wilds of Derbyshire and never went to school. We lived with my fathers parents from my being two years old until I was seven.

Isn't brogue also used for an accent?

**TheKiltedWonder** · 13th January 08, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by MacMillan of Rathdown

I love it! Thanks. And not wishing to start a debate, BUT "rags", as used here, may simply refer to clothes in the general sense. Rather like persons engaged in the fashon industry refer to it as "the rag trade". May have to rush to my OED and look up rags....

That's a very good point. I just assumed it was a jab at Irish clothing. It could well have been meant in the general sense. And what's wrong with friendly debate? I have plenty more to learn!

Originally Posted by Pleater

That explains why I use hosen as the plural of hose. My father's mother spole a rather archaic English having been brought up in the wilds of Derbyshire and never went to school. We lived with my fathers parents from my being two years old until I was seven.

Isn't brogue also used for an accent?

Yep it is. It can refer to a strongly marked accent, particularly that of Irish English. The OED (The Oxford English Dictionary, for those of you rushing to your own dictionaries in order to figure this out) mentions that some assume a connection between the shoes usage and the accent usage "as if ‘the speech of those who wear brogues’, or ‘who call their shoes brogues’;" However the OED notes "but of this there is no evidence."

P.S. I have total dialect jealousy now. That's a really old plural form (the -en) ending but it's so rare (used with "oxen" and um..."oxen")

**Ruanaidh** · 13th January 08, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by TheKiltedWonder

P.S. I have total dialect jealousy now. That's a really old plural form (the -en) ending but it's so rare (used with "oxen" and um..."oxen")

And "children".

**TheKiltedWonder** · 13th January 08, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by Ruanaidh

And "children".

but of course. I knew there was a common one I was forgetting. I was just hoping that it was something that wasn't tooooo painfully obvious. Good catch though. Thanks!

**Clockwork John** · 13th January 08, 06:12 PM

[QUOTE=TheKiltedWonder;473945]
Yep it is. It can refer to a strongly marked accent, particularly that of Irish English. The OED (The Oxford English Dictionary, for those of you rushing to your own dictionaries in order to figure this out) mentions that some assume a connection between the shoes usage and the accent usage "as if ‘the speech of those who wear brogues’, or ‘who call their shoes brogues’;" However the OED notes "but of this there is no evidence."
QUOTE]

One possible origin I've heard for "brogue" as an accent, is something to the effect of "his accent was so heavy it sounded like he had a brogue in his mouth."

I couldn't tell you where I read that, so don't quote me on it.