On Thu, 5 Sep 1996 08:52:12 -0400 (EDT) John Carmi Parsons wrote:
> Regarding the feast of St Fiacre--the French word "fiacre" came to refer (by
> the 18th century anyway) to a type of carriage that was often run for hire
> in Paris.
[snip, snip]
My German dictionary has it as "Fiaker", so presumably it was
imported into the German-speaking countries as a result of the
widespread use of French in polite society (under Frederick the Great,
perhaps?). Perhaps Otfried could enlighten us....
Mark Harris
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Mark Harris
S-mail: Finance Division, University of London, Room 255, Senate
House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
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Tel: 0171-636 8000 x 3488
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"The reason of a thing is not to bee inquired after till you are
sure the thing it selfe bee soe. Wee comonly are att *What's
the reason of it?* before wee are sure of the thing."
John Selden (1584-1654), _Table Talk_
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