Why Is A ......

[Dull Knife]

a piece of wood from the Linden tree called Bass Wood??

[MoroCreek]

Did a Google search and found this:

Bast < baest Old English, the root common to many Teutonic languages, like modern German Bast, Dutch bast, Old Norse bast, akin to Latin fascia, literally ‘bundle bound by fibrous rope.’ Basswood goes back to bass, a British dialect pronunciation of bast. Originally bast was fibre from the phloem or vascular tissue in the inner bark of the linden tree, of ancient and wide-spread use throughout Europe and among North American First Peoples. The long-celled bast fibres were made into rope, into twine, into plaits for basket weaving, mats, etc. The word bast was later applied to other fibres like jute, hemp, ramie, and raffia.

Kim

[Dull Knife]

Originally Posted by MoroCreek

Did a Google search and found this:

Bast < baest Old English, the root common to many Teutonic languages, like modern German Bast, Dutch bast, Old Norse bast, akin to Latin fascia, literally ‘bundle bound by fibrous rope.’ Basswood goes back to bass, a British dialect pronunciation of bast. Originally bast was fibre from the phloem or vascular tissue in the inner bark of the linden tree, of ancient and wide-spread use throughout Europe and among North American First Peoples. The long-celled bast fibres were made into rope, into twine, into plaits for basket weaving, mats, etc. The word bast was later applied to other fibres like jute, hemp, ramie, and raffia.

Kim

Hey Kim.....thanks for answering my question. Now I've learned some thing new, to add to my book of knowledge.

[Robson Valley]

J. L. Farrar. Trees in Canada. p279 - 281
Lindens/Basswoods (limes)
Genus: Tilia ( of the Tiliaceae: Linden Family)
". . . . worldwide the Linden genus comprises about 30 species; 4-7 are recognized in North America, one of which is native to Canada."

Basswood = American linden = Tilia americana
Little-Leaf Linden = Small-leaf European linden = Tilia cordata
White Linden = Silver linden = Tilia tomentosa (SE Europe & Asia)

The lesson, if there is one is that we could sweep all the regional and common names under the carpet and use Tilia sp.

[Dan S]

I thought we just couldn't spell Linden.

Dan

[northwood bob]

To be politically incorrect and after reading Robson Valley's comments, a question comes to mind.
Is this why the British are (in slang) called "Limeys"?

Just a question from an old Polak?
Bob

[Tom Ellis]

They also made a lot of Bass fishing lures out of it. Possibly this had an affect on the name.

Who knows. Tom

[Robson Valley]

No. Brits are "Limeys" as in the Royal Navy, back in the days of sail, the vitamin C in limes was used to reduce the incidence of scurvy while at sea.

[northwood bob]

I knew that it couldn't be attached to the tree but had to ask. I'll now add aother bit of trivia to my bank of knowledge ( Why...? Just because)