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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread angle #83551 10/14/2002 8:03 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 It occurred to me to wonder how "angle" came to mean to fish. It seems to have been based on word for "hook". angle (v.) - "to fish," 1496, from O.E. angel (n.), related to anga "hook," from I.E. *ank- "to bend." Figurative sense is recorded from 1589. angle (n.) - "intersecting lines," c.1380, from L. angulus "corner," cognate with from Gk. ankylos "bent, crooked" (see ankle). Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: angle #83552 10/14/2002 9:41 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... I suppose the bent or angled fish leading to the angler sounded better than calling the angler a hooker, huh? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: angle #83553 10/15/2002 10:36 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 AHD confirms and notes that both are from PIE ank-. Interesting that one is through Greek, Latin and Old French, not coming into English until Middle English and the other has been with us since before the beginning. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: angle #83554 10/15/2002 1:07 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Dear Faldage: The modern fish-hook is a marvel of metal working, that cannot be very old I wonder what primitive fish-hooks were like. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: angle #83555 10/15/2002 2:40 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Hey, Faldage, look at what I found when I finally used right search words: http://www.mustad.no/history/hook_history.html These hooks could have been taken by the very big fish that would have been plentiful in ancient times. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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