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New 'ellum for VETO


Chris-B

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Whist the purists will wail and gnash their teeth, we have had a new 'ellum made by Martin Kedian for our motorised Bantock VETO

Despite the look it is not significantly heavier than the old , rotted damaged one

and completed on time and within our limited budget

For us it's a win win

Lise n Chris

post-2176-0-49837600-1485874869_thumb.jpg

post-2176-0-28541100-1485874879_thumb.jpg

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From what little I know many of the working boaters were unable to read and through circumstance had little schooling. As they passed through many counties with different accents / dialects they pronounced words as they heard them. One classic example is Braaaunston with an elonglated A , which is the way locals still tend to pronounce it.

 

It is not too far fetched to suggest that perhaps a Bristol / Gloucester or other style accent the pronunciation of Helm can be represented as ellum.

 

Another example is the different spelling of Humphries from within the same family. I have written evidence of "Humphris" within the same close family.

When boaters went to record hatch ums, match ums and despatch ums the recorders wrote what they heard not necessarily the spelling.

Edited by Ray T
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Yes, I've always understood it to be from 'helm' hence the apostrophe would be for the dropped 'h'.

 

I wouldn't bother with it though; I think 'ellum' is sufficiently established as a word in its own right.

 

"Ellum" is found in early literature, but only as a dialect form of "elm" (the tree).

"Elm" is found as a variant of "helm", but never with the spelling "ellum"

 

Is "ellum" used exclusively in the narrow boat world?

 

I suspect it was used by illiterate boatmen and women as a by-form of "helm". Someone, at some stage wrote this down as it was spoken. I wonder when it first appeared in print.

 

I see Ray has said more or less the same.

Edited by koukouvagia
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A variation?

 

https://www.wordnik.com/words/ellum

Definitions

Sorry, no definitions found.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Examples
  • And the droning of bees and buzzing of flies, or the sudden clamour of a hen somewhere near would come floating in through the open window, and the odour of the flowers and the twigs of the "ellum" tree tapping at the pane helped to make the little church a haven of restfulness.

    The Bacillus of Beauty A Romance of To-day

  • Orignially Deep Elm, but residents pronounced it "ellum" and it stuck

Displaying my higgorence, what wood were butty rudders, including all the attachments made from?

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I thought the ellum was the bit you stuck into the rudder to turn it.

 

I've always known that as the tiller. Also used in offshore dinghy sailing circles.

 

tiller.jpg

 

Not one of these:

 

merrytiller_major.jpg

 

Also called a "Merry Tiller."

Edited by Ray T
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Yes, I've always understood it to be from 'helm' hence the apostrophe would be for the dropped 'h'.

 

I wouldn't bother with it though; I think 'ellum' is sufficiently established as a word in its own right.

Not according to any online dictionary - it seems to have entirely escaped lexicographical notice!

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I thought the ellum was the bit you stuck into the rudder to turn it.

 

 

Actually you're right.

 

 

 

 

I've always known that as the tiller. Also used in offshore dinghy sailing circles.

 

 

 

It's only an ellum when it's specifically the long curved tiller bar on a butty which is removed and turned upside down so it points up in the air, to indicate you're moored and finished for the day.

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Whist the purists will wail and gnash their teeth, we have had a new 'ellum made by Martin Kedian for our motorised Bantock VETO

Despite the look it is not significantly heavier than the old , rotted damaged one

and completed on time and within our limited budget

For us it's a win win

Lise n Chris

That Kedian Chap is rather good at Fabrication,not so good with Tree spotting though,That is not Elm!

 

CT

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I thought the ellum was the bit you stuck into the rudder to turn it.

 

Speaking to two boaters today, one ex Barlow's and BW the other ex BW, they both called this:

 

post-7043-0-61321400-1485952309_thumb.jpg

 

a tiller.

 

Both said "It is the ellum what it fits into."

Edited by Ray T
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