hank

[k8cre8.livejournal.com]

 It's been a rough week for our friends at Live Journal, and I hope things get back to normal soon. 

( Building a better hand with the power of technology... )

hank  (HANK ) noun. Middle English 1. a loop or coil of something flexible. 2. a specific length of coiled thread or yarn (a hank of worsted yarn contains 560 yards) 2. in nautical terms, a hank is a ring of wood, metal or rope on the edge of a staysail, and slides on the controlling stay.

 

From the depths of the 14th century, this word from Middle English migrated from its Scandinavian homeland. It's related to the Old Norse "honk hank;" and is also akin to Old English "hangian," which means "to hang." My grandfather told me that his mom used this word to refer to yarn all the time, and it was neat to know that it was part of the "living language" of my ancestors, before I'd even been born.