History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 138

3. 9.
The following words were probably introduced directly through the Flanders wool
trade. Pack (a. 1225), a bundle of things enclosed in a wrapping; the 13th-century
forms are packe and pakke, apparently from e.M.Flem. pac (12th century), (M.Du. and
MLG. pak); the earliest instance of the word yet recorded is at Ghent (1199), and it
occurs at Utrecht in 1244;
the Flemish verb. pakken, however, appears at an earlier date in connexion with the
wool trade. The vb. Pack (1280) is later in English, and is either from the sb. or
directly from M.Du., MLG. pakken. Three derivatives of pack are to be noticed: Packneedle (1327) is from pack and needle, but perhaps after a Low Dutch form (Kilian
has packnaelde); Packer (1353), an officer charged with the packing or supervision of
the packing of exported goods liable to custom; from, pack and -er, but perhaps after
the Low Dutch (Kilian has packer); Packcloth (14 .., 1565-73), a stout, coarse kind of
cloth used in packing; from pack and cloth, but perhaps after Low Dutch forms (Kilian
has pack-kleed).
Another term used in the packing of goods is Bale (c. 1325), a large bundle or
package of merchandise, originally of a more or less rounded shape; from OF. bale,
balle, which possibly came directly into ME., but Flem. also borrowed the word from
OF. as bale, and the ME. is perhaps from this.
Staple (1423), the town or place appointed by royal authority, in which was a body of
merchants having the exclusive right of purchase of certain classes of goods destined
for export; the English word has not been found earlier than 1423, but the AF. estaple
and the AL. stapula occur in official documents from the reign of Edward II onwards;
ad. OF. estaple, emporium, mart, ad. MLG. stapol, stapel, pillar, platform, stocks for
shipbuilding, &c. (whence also med.L. stapula and staplus); the MLG. and M.Du.
stapel have the sense emporium, mart, in addition to the above senses, but it is
uncertain whether this sense was developed in MLG. or whether it originated in OF.
and was thence adopted into MLG.; at any rate it is possible that the AF. and AL.
forms were reinforced by the Low Dutch forms, though themselves from OF. ad. MLG.
Tod (1425), a weight used in the wool trade, usually 28 pounds, but varying locally; of
Low Dutch origin, but no M.Du. or MLG. form can be postulated; apparently the same
word as E.Fris. todde, bundle, pack, small load; tod, load, is also found in the modern
dialects of Groningen, Guelderland, and Overijssel.
3. 10.
The words borrowed from the MLG. of the Hansa traders of north Germany fall into
four sections: (1) terms of general trade; (2) terms of the fur trade; (3) specific terms of
the trade in Baltic products; (4) terms of the timber trade.
The following are the terms of general trade.
Trade (c. 1375, Sc. Leg. Saints), ad. MLG. trade (trâ), LG. trade, a track; was perhaps
introduced originally in nautical language for the course or track of a ship, and was
afterwards extended to the other senses of ME. trede, as course, way, path, track of
beast or man.

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