Ask
anyone on the street: What is a
“rink”? They will describe an ice
skating rink or perhaps roller skating, but the word actually originated from
the sport of Curling.
The
Webster’s Dictionary in 1895 did not contain the word “rink”. The Webster’s 1905 edition does contain the
word “rink”, but it redirects you: “Rink
see Ring”. Under “ring” we find: “Ring - a circle, circular line or anything
in the form of a hoop; an inclosure [sic] for games … Rink, n Origin: course for the game of curling; a covered
sheet of ice …”
In
the 18th century the meaning of "rink" was "a space of ice
marked out for a curling match.” By the mid-19th
century, "rink" had acquired its modern day association with ice- or
roller-skating.
The
roots of "rink" are a bit tangled, but its closest relative is
probably the Middle English "renc," meaning "racecourse,"
derived from the Old French "renc," meaning "line, row or
rank." (The related Old French word "ranc" gave us our modern
English "rank"). It is also
probable that both "rink" and "rank" go back to the
Germanic root that produced the English word "ring" meaning
"circle."
How
did “rink” also become a word to describe a curling team is something we will discuss in a future article.
I
shall see my rank rink at the round rink,
Jocko
MacTartan
