This question reminds me of the NRP listener that annoyed the 'Chard when she sent an email to the radio station versus just googling the answer...
I'm sure you did the same thing I did and learned the following...
"Wheelbarrow, which is indeed the correct form, means 'a frame or box for carrying a load, supported by a wheel at one end and pushed by a handle at the other'. The word has been in the English language since the fourteenth century. It is formed from wheel, of course, and barrow, a descendant of the Old English word bearwe, which referred to a similar, hand-held device for carrying loads. This Old English word is related to our word bear in the sense 'to carry'.
The form wheelbarrel is an example of a folk etymology. A folk etymology is a modification of a word to associate it with a more common or easily understood word. For example, the word bridegroom was originally something like bridegome, the second element being the Old English word for 'man'. When "gome" fell out of use, "bridegome" was changed to "bridegroom" on the analogy of the common and familiar word "groom," which is at least a plausible substitute."
well well well i'll have to say that i think i said it Wheel Barrow until i kept saying both of them over and over again then i thought i was just lazy dropping off the L but i guess not.
Look everybody...it's wheelbarrow. Folk etymologies suck. I used to say it wrong but then I saw the light. Meridth and I just had a miniversion of this fight because of your post. It ended when I entered in "wheelbarrel" into wikipedia and it said:
"Did you mean 'wheelbarrow?'"
Also: There are ca. 1,840,000 google entries for "-barrow" and only 12,300 google entries for "-barrel."
If it's folk it must be localized to people still using Ask Jeeves.
7 comments:
This question reminds me of the NRP listener that annoyed the 'Chard when she sent an email to the radio station versus just googling the answer...
I'm sure you did the same thing I did and learned the following...
"Wheelbarrow, which is indeed the correct form, means 'a frame or box for carrying a load, supported by a wheel at one end and pushed by a handle at the other'. The word has been in the English language since the fourteenth century. It is formed from wheel, of course, and barrow, a descendant of the Old English word bearwe, which referred to a similar, hand-held device for carrying loads. This Old English word is related to our word bear in the sense 'to carry'.
The form wheelbarrel is an example of a folk etymology. A folk etymology is a modification of a word to associate it with a more common or easily understood word. For example, the word bridegroom was originally something like bridegome, the second element being the Old English word for 'man'. When "gome" fell out of use, "bridegome" was changed to "bridegroom" on the analogy of the common and familiar word "groom," which is at least a plausible substitute."
Leave it to the "chard to get it right.
Miss and love you!
-M
And I know it's NPR. I can't type.
well well well i'll have to say that i think i said it Wheel Barrow until i kept saying both of them over and over again then i thought i was just lazy dropping off the L but i guess not.
oh yea - margie - guess you didn't read the whole post 'cause it said not to go online. mmmm
It's a wheel-barrel. It's interesting how accents can influence our perception of word spelling.
I actually was just thinking recently about how I didn't know how to spell ornery when I was younger because I pronounce it "on-ner-ey."
Anyway... very interesting.
I know. I'm terrible, aren't I Stacey? Sorry, Bets. I re-read and realized I wasn't suppose to go online...
Love you!
Look everybody...it's wheelbarrow. Folk etymologies suck. I used to say it wrong but then I saw the light. Meridth and I just had a miniversion of this fight because of your post. It ended when I entered in "wheelbarrel" into wikipedia and it said:
"Did you mean 'wheelbarrow?'"
Also: There are ca. 1,840,000 google entries for "-barrow" and only 12,300 google entries for "-barrel."
If it's folk it must be localized to people still using Ask Jeeves.
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