But, in spite of the many conjectures, plausible or otherwise, which have been made, neither the etymology of swank nor its sudden inroad into the modern language are at present explained. The word ogre, first used by Perrault in his Contes de Fées (1697), has occasioned much grave and learned speculation. Perhaps the philologists of the future may theorise as sapiently as to the origin of jabberwock and bandersnatch.
FOOTNOTES:
[142] The following "etymologies" occur, in the same list with a number which are quite correct, in a 16th-century French author, Tabourot des Accords:—
Bonnet, de bon et net, pource que l'ornement de la teste doit estre tel.
Chapeau, quasi, eschappe eau; aussi anciennement ne le souloit on porter que par les champs en temps de pluye.
Chemise, quasi, sur chair mise.
Velours, quasi, velu ours.
Galant, quasi, gay allant.
Menestrier, quasi, meine estrier des espousées.
Orgueil, quasi, orde gueule.
Noise, vient de nois (noix), qui font noise et bruit portées ensemble.
Parlement, pource qu'on y parle et ment!
[143] Old Fr. pourloignier, to remove; cf. éloigner.
[144] A very difficult word. Before it was applied to a Londoner it meant a milksop. It is thus used by Chaucer. Cooper renders delicias facere, "to play the wanton, to dally, to play the cockney." In this sense it corresponds to Fr. acoquiné, made into a coquin, "made tame, inward, familiar; also, growne as lazy, sloathful, idle, as a beggar" (Cotgrave).
[145] Thought to be a Mexican word.
[146] "Sache que le mot galant homme vient d'élégant; prenant le g et l'a de la dernière syllabe, cela fait ga, et puis prenant l, ajoutant un a et les deux dernières lettres, cela fait galant, et puis ajoutant homme, cela fait galant homme." (Molière, Jalousie du Barbouillé, scène 2.)
[147] Old Fr. joindre, Lat. junior.
[148] Of Arabic origin.