History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 184

Hepe (1390, Gower), a curved pruning-knife; appears first in Gower in a proverbial
expression, ‘so what with hepe and what with crok’, and so is probably much earlier in
Eng. than the first recorded date; probably from Low Dutch, which has M.Du. and
MLG. hepe, e.mod.Du. heepe, Du. heep, sickle-shaped pruning knife or bill.
Sye (1468), a sieve, strainer; this sb. may be from the vb. sye (OE. sēōn), to sift, or
ad. M.Du. sye, sie, or ON. sía.
Sift (1490, Pr. Parv.) in the sense, a sieve; perhaps ad. M.Du. sifte, zifte (Du. zift,
M.Du. and MLG. sichte).
Sight (1559), a sieve or strainer; perhaps ad. LG. sichte. It is possible that sift and
sight are the same word with divergent pronunciations. Sighting (1559), the result of
straining, strained matter; perhaps ad. LG. sichting, vbl. sb. from sichten, to sift.
Hame (1303, R. Brunne), each of the two curved pieces of wood or metal placed over,
fastened to, or forming the collar of a draught horse; it corresponds to and is perhaps
ad. M.Du. hame, haem (Du. haam).
Slead (1374), sled, sledge; ad. M.Du. or MLG. slede (Du. slede, slee, LG. slede,
släde, slee).
Brake (1412-20, Lydgate), a bridle or curb; O.E.D. states that it is perhaps identical
with brake, a lever or handle for working a machine, or an extended use of break (see
Brake, p. 121), or more probably ad. M.Du. braeke, in the sense of ‘a nose-ring for a
draught ox’; Mnl. Wdb. has M.Du. brake, chain, curb, and the word may be directly
from this.
Slipe (c. 1470), a sledge or drag; apparently ad. LG. slîpe, a variant of the usual
slêpe, sledge, train.
Spancel (1610), sb. and vb., a rope or fetter for hobbling cattle, horses, &c., esp. a
short, noosed rope for fettering the hind legs of a cow when milking; ad. Flem., Du., or
LG. spansel (Kilian spanssel), from spannen, to span, clasp.
Wan (1615), a winnowing fan; (1825, Brockett, N.C. Gloss.), the sail of a windmill,
van; commonly spelt