Notes and Queries, Vol. V, Number 121, February 21, 1852: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.Various
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Notes and Queries, Vol. V, Number 121, February 21, 1852: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.
Various
Questions and answers -- Periodicals
Will you allow me to suggest that, under the above, or some such
heading, "N. & Q." should receive any words not to be found in any
well-known dictionary; such, for instance, as Halliwell's or Webster's,
which do not by any means contain all the words belonging to the class
of which they profess to be the repositories. You may also invite
barristers, reporters, professional men generally, and others, to send
such waifs of this description as they meet with. "N. & Q." will then
soon become in this department of literature, as it is already in many
others, a rich mine from which future authors will draw precious store
of knowledge. I will begin by giving one or two examples.
_Earth-burn._ An intermittent land-spring, which may not show itself for
several years. There is such a spring, and so named, near to Epsom.
_Lavant._ A land-spring, according to Halliwell. But this also is an
intermittent spring. The word is probably from _lava_, to flow.
_Pick._ (Lancashire.) To push with the hand. "I gen her a pick;" that
is, "I pushed her from me;" or, "I gave her a violent push forward."
_Pick_ is also the instrument colliers get coals with; or an excavator
gets earth with; or a stonemason uses to take the "rough" off a stone.
He may also finish the face of ashlar by "fine-picking" it.
_Gen._ (Lancashire.) A contraction of the word _gave_.
ROBERT RAWLINSON.
P.S.--I have seen, in a court of justice in Lancashire, judge and
counsel fairly set fast with a broad spoken county person; and
many of the words in common use are not to be found in any
dictionary or glossary. Again, I have spoken to reporters as to
technical words used at such meetings, for instance, as those of
the mechanical engineers in Birmingham, and I have been informed
that they are frequently bewildered and surprised at the numbers
of words in use having the same meaning, but which are not to be
found in any dictionary. It would be of the utmost value to seize
and fix these words.
R. R.
[The proposal of our correspondent jumps so completely with the
object of "N. & Q.," as announced in our original Prospectus, that
we not only insert it, but hope that his invitation will be
responded to by all who meet with archaisms either in their
reading or in their intercourse with natives of those various
districts of England which are richest in provincialisms.--ED.]
THE LAST OF THE PALÆOLOGI.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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