TNTL 114

F. de Tollenaere

Etymologica: de geborduurde pantoffels van het MNW

Abstract -- The Middle Dutch dictionary (MNW) has an entry muultapisserie 'worked slippers' from a document A.D. 1524. Judging from the context, muultapisserie seems corrupt; the manuscript, which unfortunately has been lost, probably had the reading muyrtapisserye 'wall-tapestry'. As a consequence there is no such word as MDu. mule 'slipper'. The ill-fated entry muultapisserie has had unintended consequences not only for Dutch but also for French lexicography and etymology.