The Word Wood?

[cabinetman]

This may be a bit of trivia, but we use the word "wood" on a general basis. I know what wood is and I've read the definition, but where did that word come from? How was the word derived?
.

[Uncle Cracker]

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:


Main Entry:
2wood Listen to the pronunciation of 2wood
Pronunciation:
\ˈwu̇d\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English wode, from Old English widu, wudu; akin to Old High German witu wood, Old Irish fid tree
Date:
before 12th century

1 a: a dense growth of trees usually greater in extent than a grove and smaller than a forest —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction b: woodland2 a: the hard fibrous substance consisting basically of xylem that makes up the greater part of the stems, branches, and roots of trees or shrubs beneath the bark and is found to a limited extent in herbaceous plants b: wood suitable or prepared for some use (as burning or building)3 a: something made of wood b: a golf club having a thick wooden head; also : a golf club having a similar head made of metal

[cabinetman]

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:


Main Entry:
2wood Listen to the pronunciation of 2wood
Pronunciation:
\ˈwu̇d\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English wode, from Old English widu, wudu; akin to Old High German witu wood, Old Irish fid tree
Date:
before 12th century

1 a: a dense growth of trees usually greater in extent than a grove and smaller than a forest —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction b: woodland2 a: the hard fibrous substance consisting basically of xylem that makes up the greater part of the stems, branches, and roots of trees or shrubs beneath the bark and is found to a limited extent in herbaceous plants b: wood suitable or prepared for some use (as burning or building)3 a: something made of wood b: a golf club having a thick wooden head; also : a golf club having a similar head made of metal

I looked it up too, and found the exact same thing, but that doesn't explain how the word got applied or it's relationship to trees, lumber, etc. I'm referring to the word itself, not what it is or means. Hey - get with the program.
.

[Uncle Cracker]

The etymology is likely to be the most factual account of origin. Had to go with that, because I wasn't around back then. What the heck do you want, anyway? It's Saturday morning!!!

[SARGE..g-47]

You go the grocery and buy 4 bags of groceries... you take out six bags of trash... ?? Mystery of life...

The WOOD sits on my work-bench and assembly table where I left it last evening... awaiting my arrival to guide it on it's journey to the "promise land". One more cup of coffee should steady the steering gears before I take command...

Off to rendezvous with Kodama in a place where our spirits unite...

[LCHIEN]

I looked it up too, and found the exact same thing, but that doesn't explain how the word got applied or it's relationship to trees, lumber, etc. I'm referring to the word itself, not what it is or means. Hey - get with the program.
.

Hey that's the mystery of language, how the heck did anything get named? Not just wood.

What I'm really curious to know, how did people learn to eat a lot of things??? Like, who's the first guy that decided to drink milk from a cow... or who's the guy who decided to try mushrooms? Who ate the first fish? and how about the first guy to try cheese? That had to be an act of bravery. I wonder how many of our ancestors died trying to eat stuff that was inedible?

[Uncle Cracker]

I wonder how many of our ancestors died trying to eat stuff that was inedible?

Probably watched the animals for the most part. I was surprised to find that it was not too long ago that tomatoes were thought to be deadly poisonous...

[cabinetman]

Probably watched the animals for the most part. I was surprised to find that it was not too long ago that tomatoes were thought to be deadly poisonous...

You mean they're not???

[gsmittle]

Hey that's the mystery of language, how the heck did anything get named? Not just wood.

What I'm really curious to know, how did people learn to eat a lot of things??? Like, who's the first guy that decided to drink milk from a cow... or who's the guy who decided to try mushrooms? Who ate the first fish? and how about the first guy to try cheese? That had to be an act of bravery. I wonder how many of our ancestors died trying to eat stuff that was inedible?

I want to know who decided to eat a lobster for the first time. After all, a lobster looks like an armored, mean-spirited cockroach. And did he/she have drawn butter?

Pondering the mysteries of life....

g.

[cabinetman]

Thought I'd share this response I got from another forum:


My understanding of the derivation of the word "wood" originated around 40,000 years ago. Og was trying to make a good spear point for hunting that would penetrate the think hide of the wooly mammoth and yet be easily portable. So it would fit his hand, he rolled a log up and down a rocky hillside, wearing the bark off and creating a relatively round shape.

After all the work, Og found out that the spear was too long and decided to remove about 10 cubits of length - that'll teach him - tree was too tall! After much thought, Og decided to put the spear down by the prehistoric beaver pond in the hopes that the beavers would chew through the spear and shorten it. After a week, Og returned to the pond and found the spear chewed off to a length of about 8 cubits! And the end of the spear now had a nice point on it to boot!

Og and is best buddy, Gog went hunting with the new spear. They stalked, walked and crouched around for days, but no wooly mammoth were to be found. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a large bird flew over them and started circling to catch a updraft. "Throw at bird," screamed Gog! "Wood hit me in head," answered Og.

And that is the rest of the story.
.

[kirkroy]

Probably watched the animals for the most part. I was surprised to find that it was not too long ago that tomatoes were thought to be deadly poisonous...

That's why only the poor/desparate were eating them when they first came to europe from the new world (mostly central and south america). I saw a special on pizza on the history channel so now I'm an expert on tomatoes and pizza.

[scmhogg]

Loring,

Who ate the first artichoke???

Steve

[crokett]

Loring,

Who ate the first artichoke???

Steve

Whoever did was probably forced to do it.

[LCHIEN]

Loring,

Who ate the first artichoke???

Steve

oh, yeah. How about the guy who tried eating oysters?

[dlminehart]

I read somewhere that lobsters used to be fed to prisoners in colonial New England, and there was a limitation on how many per week constituted intolerably abusive conditions.

I bet a lot of these trials of new foods involved people forcing or daring or tricking their juniors into trying them. Still happens!