' Butler — HouseJiold Wo7-ds: Their Etymology. 375 



such as were round, and tlien to all of the class Tumbler, in 

 the light of etymology, becomes historic. It was at first shaped 

 like the horn cups of the pastoral era. It was called tumbler 

 because, being pointed, it must tumble if set down unsupported, 

 and so it stood in a socket. Tucking in the point which en- 

 abled a cup to stand alone, marked an advance in glass making. 

 Older than that improvement is the Gothic word for cup, namely; 

 point, because made of a pointed horn, and in the Gothic Bible 

 we find the text : ''The point mv father hath given me shall I 

 not drink it?" John xviii. 11. 



Many original meanings are quite unexpected. Thus porce- 

 lain means pig, or porklet. The name porcella, Portuguese for 

 pig, was given to a shell because it was shaped like that animal's 

 back, and then transferred to china which was enameled like 

 that shell. Shape gave rise to one word and color to the other. 

 Salver, the tray or waiter used at table for serving up or serving 

 off, means a saver, not however of eatables but of eaters. The 

 word is an heir-loom from times when poison was often secreted 

 in meats and di'inks and was much oftener feared, so that a 

 pregustator, or fore-taster, was the most important servant in 

 all great households. After the plates of guests had been filled, 

 each of them put a morsel of every dainty upon the salver which 

 was passed around by the pregustator. ^^Tot till the salver-bearer 

 had eaten these contributions did the feast of his betters begin. 

 According to Shakespeare when King John had been poisoned 

 and a messenger told the news, saying: ^^The King I fear is 

 poisoned by a monk, I left him speechless," the hearers 

 asked, "How did he take the poison? who did taste for him?" 

 His answer was, "A monk, I tell you, a resolved (resolute) 

 villain whose bowels suddenly burst out." King John, v. 6. 23. 



Dessert, which means served off, fitly describes the final course 

 of a dinner. Serviette, derived by some from the same root as 

 salver since it saves our clothes, is traced by others to serve as 

 being serviceable. The root of napJdn mteans cloth and has seen 

 strange mutations, coming to signify cloth on a table, in the 

 pocket, in the hand, and tied about the body. ^N'apery, a table- 

 cloth, in the diminutive napkin, aside from its current use gave 

 its name to handkerchief, to map, forming its material before 

 paper was known, and to apron for the same reason. Apron 



