Talk:knacker
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Both the etymologies for this word look a little dubious. The Irish one looks like a folk etymology to me -
- I can't find any reference to the form eachóir (although it's a plausible form), but there is a similar form eachaire "groom, stable-boy".
- Both of these nouns are masculine so the form with the definite article would be an t-eachóir/an t-eachaire and would be pronounced /ə(nˠ) ˈtʲæxoːrʲ/ and /ə(nˠ) ˈtʲæxərʲə/. Where did the t go?
- The form in Old Irish would be based on the older spelling ech ("saddle-horse") but a search of eDIL fails to find anything like the forms above.
The Old Norse version looks like two likely words jammed together, but a Germanic origin seems more likely. The Shorter Oxford says "Origin uncertain: in sense 1 perh. orig. maker of the smaller articles of harness (f. KNACK n.2 + -ER2)" and has "Ult. imit., but perh. immed. f. Du., LG knak. Cf. prec." for knack. ☸ Moilleadóir ☎ 06:26, 11 May 2009 (UTC)
Since we seem to have come to a better conclusion at an etymology than the Shorter Oxford, I think the information should stay, folk etymology or no folk etymology. I realise this is not always the point... 92.7.173.228 07:29, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
- Knackers also means testicles--Tumadoireacht 06:14, 6 February 2011 (UTC)