History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 168

possible that the word was borrowed into Eng. both from French and Low Dutch and
that the Dutch form finally supplanted the French.
Tide (c. 1436), in the secondary sense, tide of the sea; this sense corresponds exactly
to MLG. getîde (n.), tîde, tie (n. and f.), LG. tide, M.Du. ghetîde (n.), e.mod.Du. tijde,
Du. tij (n.), ‘tide of the sea’, a particular application of MLG. getîde, a fixed time, proper
time, space of time; OE. had no form corresponding to getîde (using for tide of the sea
flōd and ebba), and tīd or tide in this sense is unknown before 1340; it may then have
been introduced from or used after the MLG. word, but as in ME. tide had neither the
difference of form or of gender seen in de tît and dat tîde, actual formal evidence of
borrowing is wanting; of course, there is always the possibility of a transference of
sense in ME., as in MLG.; two examples, both earlier than c. 1435, seem to mean the
time of high water rather than the flood tide itself or the phenomenon of the tides
(1340, Hampole, c. 1386, Chaucer).
A term of harbour equipment is Buoy (1466), a floating object moored over a shoal,
rock, or sunken object to mark its position; it is not clear whether the Eng. word was
originally from OF. boie, buie or from M.Du. boje, boye, boei.
Slip (1467), an artificial slope of stone built or made beside a navigable water to serve
as a landing place; probably from slip, vb. (see p. 202). Dock (1513), the bed in which
a ship lies at low water, the hollow made by a vessel lying in the sand; (1538), a creek
or haven in which vessels may lie on the ooze or ride at anchor; (1634-5), a trench,
canal, or artificial inlet to admit a boat; (1552), an artificial basin excavated; first
recorded in the 16th century in Du. and Eng. and perhaps in Eng. from Du. docke,
now dok; from Du. and Eng. it has passed into other languages, Da. docke, Sw.
docka, G. dock, docke, F. dock.
Brack (1513), as adj., salt, briny, brackish; (1591), as sb., salt water, brine, the sea;
ad. Du. brak, brackish. Derivatives are Brackish (1637), Brackishness (1571), and
Bracky (1593).
Reef (1584), a narrow ridge or chain of rocks, shingle, or sand, lying at or near the
surface of the water; the ultimate source is ON. rif, in the same sense, but the
immediate source of the word was probably Low Dutch, from Du. rif (Kilian also riffe),
MLG. rif, ref. Beer (1629), a mole or pier; ad. Du. beer.
4. 11.
A few words are of more specifically naval application.
Keelhaul (1626), to haul a person under the keel of a ship; ad. Du. kielhalen (with the
elements Anglicized as keel and haul); Du. kielhalen occurs in an ordinance of 1629,
the punishment itself is mentioned in an ordinance of 1590 as ‘onder den kiele
deurstricken’; the quotation of 1626 (Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen), is an
explanation of the procedure, the first real occurrence being in 1666 (Lond. Gaz.).
Cruise (1651), to sail to and fro over some part of the sea without making for any
particular port; the word corresponds alike to Du. kruisen, to cross, also, since the
17th century, to cruise, sail crossing to and fro, ‘kruyssen op de Zee’, to traverse and
cross the sea (1678, Hexham), from kruis, cross, and to Sp. and Pg. cruzar, to cross,

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