hulca

Forms

hulca f (genitive hulcae); first declension^[1] The masculine hulcus is the same word.^[2][3] Spellings with ⟨k⟩ and ⟨ch⟩ (hulka, hulcha) occur.^[2]

Etymology

The DMLBS takes it from Old English hulc and Middle English hulk,^[2] and Niermeyer and Köbler also call it Germanic;^[4][5] Köbler adds Proto-Germanic *hulka, which he glosses as perhaps “hollow”.^[4][5] The MLW instead compares Ancient Greek ὁλκάς (holkás, “merchant ship”) and Old French hulke,^[3] and Etymonline names the Greek word as a possible ultimate source of the Old English one, a ship “that is towed”.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record is the masculine form in an 11th-century text on the tolls at Billingsgate, which names the hulcus beside the ceol among ships that pay toll.^[3][2][5]

Semantic evolution

It named a large cargo ship of the North Sea trade.^[2][7][1] English records of the 14th and 15th centuries list it beside the cog, the carrack and the barge,^[2] and a chronicle that Du Cange quotes speaks of “caracis, hulcis et liburniis”.^[7] In 1522 Gerardus Geldenhouwer described a huge ship “quam hulcam Hollandi vocant”, heavily armed with guns.^[1]

Timeline

• 11th century – A text on tolls at Billingsgate names the hulcus.^[3][5]
• 1387 – An English Close Roll mentions the master of a hulca sailing with a cog.^[2][5]
• 1453 – An English Patent Roll records a hulka of Danzig of up to 300 tuns.^[2]
• 1522 – Geldenhouwer calls a large armed ship the hulca of the Dutch.^[1]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A hulk, a large merchant ship or cargo ship.^{[2][7][1][5][4]}

Related words

• liburna
• English hulk

References

1. ^ a b c d e Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre