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Joined: Feb 2008
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
'Wordsmith' is a word coined from 'blacksmith.' The verb 'to smith' means to form or forge metal. This is perhaps confusing, since a blacksmith doesn't smith blacks but is called that presumably because he is always covered in black soot, whereas a wordsmith does forge words. But the one consistency of English is that it is inconsistent! Gotta bust ya on this one, Pook! We were just at Colonial Willimasburg in Virginia, and my sons were fascinated watching the blacksmith make nails. I specifically mentioned that I always thought the term "blacksmith" came from them being covered in soot, and he told me that, in fact, it did not. The term arises from the metal used (usually iron), which turns black during the heating process through oxidization. The term "smith" comes from "smite", as they hit the metal to shape it. This is in contrast to the foundry, where metal is poured, never beaten. :0) That's interesting, though it may or may not be true of course - just because a smithy said it doesn't mean it necessarily is. Wikipedia does agree with that idea, however, which suggests it probably is - blacksmith . I suppose it is reasonable to say they smite black metals because that's the colour of the metal after it is covered with black oxides, but if it is still glowing red when they start hitting it why aren't they called redsmiths or orangesmiths? Strange. I'm probably wrong then, but I did cover myself by saying "presumably" though - I was just guessing. 
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
We were just at Colonial Willimasburg in Virginia, and my sons were fascinated watching the blacksmith make nails. I specifically mentioned that I always thought the term "blacksmith" came from them being covered in soot, and he told me that, in fact, it did not. The term arises from the metal used (usually iron), which turns black during the heating process through oxidization. The term "smith" comes from "smite", as they hit the metal to shape it. This is in contrast to the foundry, where metal is poured, never beaten. :0) what The Pook says is true; you can't count on someone in the industry to know the origin of the word. I'm inclined to agree on the black part of blacksmith (a whitesmith works in tin and wrought iron is black in finished state) I have trouble with the smith/smite part. OE smitan, from which we got MnE smite meant 'daub, smear, defile.' OE had the verb smišian, 'to forge, fabricate, design.' Whether they are related sometime back before English I'd leave to the likes of Nuncle.
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Joined: Feb 2008
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
I'd not heard the term whitesmith before. Only Tinsmith or Silversmith. Interesting.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876 |
Isn't it funny what we think of first? When I hear blacksmith, the next one I think of is goldsmith, but probably because my best friend is a gemologist/jeweler/goldsmith. I have heard ironsmith before, but I don't remember where. And yes, Pook,, you are good at "covering", as are most people on this site! Maybe Nuncle will show up with 2 cents to throw in... :0)
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
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why black? cause there is black iron (a form of iron that has a black finish, and iron that is more 'silvery" in tone..(that oxidizes almost immediately! a thin even oxidation layer actually works to protect from more corrosive rust..
think of iron pots.. black 'cast iron', and silvery pots (which is really an iron alloy--(steel is one alloy, but there are others)
a black smith works in black iron.
lots of pots had tin linings (to keep the iron from rusting) and some had pots of copper (much more expensive than iron) that also had tin linings.
(brass also comes in 'yellow brass" and "red brass", gold in pink, white and yellow, lots of metals were 'defined' by color.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
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English smite and smith come from two different roots in PIE *smei- 'to smear, daub' and *smei 'to cut, work with a sharp tool', but cf. Old Icelandic smidr 'skilled worker in wood'. Whether these two roots are homonyms or a polysemous single root is arguable, but I'm sure old Pokorny had his reasons to separate them.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Joined: Aug 2002
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
Sorry to jump back to the original question but most Canadians would understand Maritimer to refer to someone from the Maritime provinces but this itself is because the word means ocean related and these are the most ocean related provinces. I think Maritimer is a good single word to include the jobs you mention. Although the word has a meaning in Canada the two meanings are close enough to fit together.
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
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Could be a heritage from French , who call their Mediterranian Alpes: 'Alpes Maritimes'. French may have been stirred through Canadian English in some good quantities.
The French use maritime quite in that same way.
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