The Bloody Origin of "Shambles"
Chicago Tribune language columnist Nathan Bierma writes about the curious word "shambles."
Its etymology is kind of grisly -- rather like that of dreary.
Its etymology is kind of grisly -- rather like that of dreary.
posted by Martha at 11:03 AM
4 Comments:
Hey, Martha!
There's several streets in British towns ... notably York and Kendal ... called 'The Shambles'
Great illustration of how the meaning of a word can change ... did you know a 'brawl' was originally a dance?
Keith
Hiya, travelrat. I imagine those street names indeed referred to the bloody business done there, no?
And I'm not aware of any evidence about brawl being linked to dancing. Where'd you see that?
I read Swift's "A Modest Proposal" a few days ago for a literature course, and it uses the word "shambles" to mean slaughterhouse.
Ah. Nice example, Anonymous! Thanks.
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