History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 146

tenses. Related to coff is Cofe (1471), a bargain; (1555), a hawker or pedlar; the
mode of formation is uncertain and the two meanings may be distinct derivations from
coff; M.Du. has coop, trade, and perhaps confusion of coff and coop became cofe with
the vowel from coop and the -f from coff.
Wrack (1472-5), that which is of an inferior, poor, or worthless quality, waste material,
rubbish; ad. (M)LG. or Du. wrak (whence also Da. vrag, Sw. vrak, refuse). Wrak, vb.
(1609), wrake; ad. MLG. wracken, to reject, refuse, a variant of wraken, wrake.
Wracker (1584), from wrack and -er, or ad. MLG. wraker (whence Da. vrager, sorter).
Wrake (a. 1350), refuse, rubbish, something worthless, is a variant of wrack, sb.
Wrake, vb. (1584), to examine goods with a view to rejecting or destroying the
unsound, faulty, or damaged; ad. (M)LG. wrâken (whence Sw. vraka, Da. vrage), older
Du. wraaken, Du. wraken, older Flem. wraecken (Kalian), to reject. Wraker (1584),
one who inspects goods and rejects and destroys the faulty; from wrake, vb. and -er,
or ad. (M)LG. wraker.
Crame (1477), a booth or stall where goods are sold in market or fair; (1560), a pack
or bundle of goods carried about for sale, a pedlar's stock of wares; ad. M.Du.,
M.Flem., or MLG. krâme, kraeme, krâm, tent, booth, stall, stock of wares; German
traders and pedlars introduced this word into the Scand. languages also (Icel., Da.,
Sw., Norw. kram), and into Slavonic and Lithuanian. Cramer (1491), one who sells
goods at a stall or booth, also hawker, pedlar; ad. MLG. krêmer, kraemer, krâmer, or
M.Du. and M.Flem. kramer, kraemer, petty trader, hawker, properly the keeper of a
‘crame’; this word was also introduced into Icel., Da., and Polish by Low German
traders. Cramery (15.., Aberd. Reg.), merchandise, such goods as are usually sold by
a pedlar; ad. MLG. krêmerie, crâmerie, M.Du. cremerie, cramerie (Kalian has
kraemerije), the trade or merchandise of a cramer.
Weighgilt (1497), a payment for weighing; formed after Du. waaggeld (M.Du.
waechgelt).
In the modern period we get two terms for commercial buildings.
Pawn (1575, Sir T. Gresham), a gallery or colonnade, a covered walk or passage,
especially one in a bazaar, exchange, or arcade, alongside of which wares are
exposed for sale; perhaps from e.mod.Du. pand (Plantijn), pandt (Kilian, 1599,
Hexham, 1678), a gallery where things are sold; pand is a Du. development of F. pan.
Packhouse (1601), a building in which packs of goods are stored; from pack and
house (see Pack), but perhaps after Du. packhuis (Kalian has packhuys).
There are three terms for selling by auction.
Outroop (1598), an auction; ad. Du. uitroep (in Kilian wtroep), an auction sale, from
uit, out, and roepen, to call. Outrooper, -roper (1612), an auctioneer, at one time the
specific title of the Common Crier of the City of London; from outroop, but compare
Du. uitroeper.
Lyth-coop (1681), an auction of household goods; perhaps adopted with change of
sense from Du. lijfkoop, in M.Du. also litcoop, liefcoop, a luckpenny on the conclusion
of a bargain; the Dutch forms were probably affected by popular etymology.

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