haversack

NOUN : A bag carried over one shoulder to transport supplies, as on a hike.
ETYMOLOGY: French havresac, from obsolete German Habersack : German dialectal Haber, oats (from Middle High German habere, from Old High German habaro) + German Sack, bag (from Middle High German sac, from Old High German, from Latin saccus; see sack1).

A word I came across. Though I'd never read the word before it was directly clear that it meant haverzak. Haver = oats, sack = zak.The etymology on the other hand is quite confusing.

f.i. From French havresac. Oats in French is avoine.
Havre (fr.) means a small harbour: "Le Havre".I don't understand the 'obsolete' in the Habersack sentence, because Haber = oats

And in English it is in fact still intact as 'sack of oats' but not used or understood in this way.

I have one little question about this:
I am interested to know more about the havre- harbour- oats
thing, for here is really a strange connection going on , for what I know.



Last edited by BranShea; 02/16/08 03:59 PM.