Wednesday, September 7, 2011

SUTLER

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 7 September 2011

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SUTLER  (n. pl. -S)

Definition(s):
  1. (n.) a person who sells provisions to solders, especially one who follows an army or lives in a garrison town for that purpose

Useful information for game players:
  • Front hooks: (none)
  • Back hooks: -S
  • Anagrams: LUSTER, LUSTRE, RESULT, RUSTLE, and ULSTER
  • Longer extensions: (none)
  • Wraparounds: (none)
  • Other Spellings: (none)
  • Related Forms: (none)

Epilogue:
Selling provisions to soldiers is an ancient occupation, though the term SUTLER (from a Dutch word) did not enter English until around 1600.  An older term for the occupation is VICTUALER (or VICTUALLER), a word of French origin that is recorded in English as early as William Langland’s 1377 allegorical poem Piers Plowman.  

Most SUTLERS throughout history were male, but a kind of female sutler known as a VIVANDIERE (also of French origin) was involved in a number of European wars in the 1700 and 1800s, as well as in the American Civil War.  They accompanied the troops for the purpose of selling them food, supplies, liquor, and other wares.

This week’s theme: occupational words

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