----- Original Message ----- From: "sean neill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2007 10:46 AM Subject: Re: [canals-list] The Word "Quay"??
>> As to definitions, I've not looked it up anywhere but my understanding >> of >> the word "wharf" is that it's place designed for ships or boats (of >> any size >> and kind) to load and unload. > > I think this is one of many cases where English has two words with very > similar meanings, from French and German. 'Wharf' comes from Old Low > German (good thing there aren't many New Low Germans around these days) > and means a section of strengthened bank - which is what canal wharfs > are. 'Quay' is an anglicisation of the French 'quai' and the dictionary > says it can be a section of strengthened bank or be built out into the > water. My guess is that usage reflects the Norman Conquest - when ports > were built in the Middle Ages, their structures were called 'quai' as > the official language was French up to Agincourt, but the peasants > continued to call vernacular structures 'wharf'. Nowadays I think 'quay' > refers to sea harbours, 'wharf' to enclosed docks, rivers and canals - > but it's 'Canary Wharf' facng 'West India Quay'!! > > 'Pier' originally referred to bridge-piers so transferred to sttuctures > built with piers - does the ironically named Wigan Pier have piers? As > Staffy will remind us, there are inland ports in the UK! >> Mike Stevens The coal loading wharf called Wigan Pier was used as a joke by Lancashire comedians. The remainder of the named bit is seen in http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lowefoto.com/konica/wigan01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lowefoto.com/konica/page57.html&h=341&w=450&sz=38&hl=en&start=32&tbnid=uMbQ9WWaq7SlHM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwigan%2Bpier%26start%3D18%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN I hope this long URL works OK. Dave Croft Warrington http://oldengine.org/members/croft/homepage http://community.webshots.com/user/crftdv
