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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-364-316686905 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Dave, On 5-Jun-08, at 3:15 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote: > But it would be interesting to know how in fact these 'barrens' did > get this designation. It's not clear. An entry from an old Webster's encyclopedia definition for the term says: "In the states west of the Alleghany: A tract of land rising a few feet above the level of a plain, and producing trees and grass. The soil of these "barrens" is not barren, as the name imports, but often very fertile. It is usually alluvial, to a depth sometimes of several feet." So, oxymoronic from the start? The word topographic term moor also has nothing to do with natives of the coast of Mauritania (whence that term originates), but rather derives from the Anglo-Saxon maer meaning a "mire." Fen, "a low, flat, and wet land, covered wholly or partially with water, and producing only sedge or coarse grass," derives, in turn, from the Icelandic fen or Gothic fani = mud. Cheers, Chris Christopher Majka - Atlantic Canada Coleoptera http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca --Apple-Mail-364-316686905 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Dave,<div><br><div><div>On = 5-Jun-08, at 3:15 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite">But it = would be interesting to know how in fact these 'barrens' did get this = designation.<br></blockquote><br></div><div>It's not clear. An entry = from an old Webster's encyclopedia definition for the term = says:</div><div><br></div><div>"In the states west of the Alleghany: A = tract of land rising a few feet above the level of a plain, and = producing trees and grass. The soil of these "barrens" is not = <i>barren</i>, as the name imports, but often very fertile. It is = usually alluvial, to a depth sometimes of several = feet."</div><div><br></div><div>So, oxymoronic from the = start?</div><div><br></div><div>The word topographic term = <i>moor</i> also has nothing to do with natives of the coast = of Mauritania (whence that term originates), but rather = derives from the Anglo-Saxon <i>maer</i> meaning a = "mire."</div><div><br></div><div><i>Fen</i>, "a low, flat, and wet land, = covered wholly or partially with water, and producing only sedge or = coarse grass," derives, in turn, from the Icelandic <i>fen</i> or Gothic = <i>fani</i> =3D = mud.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div>= <div><br></div><div apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; = font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; = letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: = auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; = widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><div>Christopher Majka - Atlantic Canada = Coleoptera</div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html= ">http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html</a></= div><div><a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><= div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></span><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-364-316686905--
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