Re: Etymology for basket

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Carl Hult <datalampa@...> wrote:

> Can anyone tell me the etymology for ´basket´? The Online Etymology
> Dictionary has no clue and I don´t like the other suggestions for

it.

> From OED:
>
> basket
> 1229, from Anglo-Fr. bascat, origin obscure despite much

speculation.

> Said by the Roman poet Martial to be from Celtic British and perhaps
> cognate with L. fascis "bundle, faggot," in which case it probably
> originally meant "wicker basket." But there is no evidence of such a
> word in Celtic .
>

You are asking all the wrong questions. No one seems to feel
comfortable around these words. You might try at my site

http://www.angelfire.com/rant/tgpedersen/HbHpHg.html

All I can say is that is looks like there was a Northwest European
culture which was busy with transport and trade who delivered may
words in that field to more 'civilised' languages. Also see what
Hubschmid's "Schläuche und Fässer" has to say about the word families
of 'bag' and 'pack'. Check also 'bast' and 'Bastarnae' at your local
dictionary.


Torsten