For native English speak buddies

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Rails and stile.

For me as a non-native English speak person the name looks me odd, actually I would expect the opposite if I compared against traditional railway naming I would expect that naming came from. The longest and more direct parts would be "rail" and the smaller transverse parts would be the stiles. It look me more "logical".

Oh, yes, I know natural languages are not strictly "logical" but perhaps there are something behind that naming I missed and I would like to listen you and perhaps I could find some logic at that name also.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Tony Wilkins]

Rails and stile.

For me as a non-native English speak person the name looks me odd, actually I would expect the opposite if I compared against traditional railway naming I would expect that naming came from. The longest and more direct parts would be "rail" and the smaller transverse parts would be the stiles. It look me more "logical".

Oh, yes, I know natural languages are not strictly "logical" but perhaps there are something behind that naming I missed and I would like to listen you and perhaps I could find some logic at that name also.

Thanks for your feedback.

Not sure of the origin but language is so fluid (especially English)that I bet the words referred to something slightly different before.

[James Pallas]

Osvaldo, I think you will find that the terms come from fencing as opposed to railroads. Fence horizontals are referred to as rails. At times a higher than normal fence post was put up to allow a handhold for people to cross the fence without a gate. Sometimes this included some form of steps. Kept gates from being expensive and from being left open. The vertical piece is referred to as the stile.

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

I don't know the etymology, but I've always remembered which is which by this: Stiles are like hemlines – they go up and down (styles/stiles). Silly, but it works!

[Sanford Imhoff]

I've always gone - rails are like rails on a fence - horizontal.

rail.jpg

[Mel Fulks]

Osvaldo, the Oxford gives a date of 1668 for "stile " and defines it as a vertical ,usually holding up something else.
No info on origin. A set of steps made for people to go over a fence,while excluding animals is also a "stile".

[Jim Koepke]

Rails and stile.

For me as a non-native English speak person the name looks me odd, actually I would expect the opposite if I compared against traditional railway naming I would expect that naming came from. The longest and more direct parts would be "rail" and the smaller transverse parts would be the stiles. It look me more "logical".

Oh, yes, I know natural languages are not strictly "logical" but perhaps there are something behind that naming I missed and I would like to listen you and perhaps I could find some logic at that name also.

Thanks for your feedback.

Don't feel alone. Until today my understanding of them was also more "logical." That's just my style.

jtk

[Tony Wilkins]

Don't feel alone. Until today my understanding of them was also more "logical." That's just my stile.

jtk

Fixed it for you.

[Mel Fulks]

A word I've wondered about is bolection (moulding). Oxford defines it but says its origin is unknown. I have a theory
about it : architect is talking about using a large moulding for "projection". Helper hears that and tells another guy that
they are going to use a "bolection moulding". And after a few rounds of retelling and laughter the new word and old mould
are married forever.

[James Pallas]

Bole is French word for trim around doors or shutters on the exterior. That may be the origin.

[Mel Fulks]

Thanks, James. Possible,but there are lots of Anglicized French words and they are reported as such in OED. But
they might well have considered that. My guess might also have been considered....but I'm making sure it doesn't
land in the ash heap of history. "ash heap of history"....I made another good entry !

[Mel Fulks]

Stile . Could come from peristyle, row of columns

[Jerome Andrieux]

Stile . Could come from peristyle, row of columns

From French péristyle, from Latin peristylum, from Greek peristylos, peri (~around) and stylos (~pillar).

Stylus, stylet and other pointy things comes from the same greek root "stylos".

On the other hand, French use the word "rabot" for handplanes, maybe taken from "rabbit" (English, or maybe Dutch...) because the blade ressembles rabbit ears.

Language

[Jim Matthews]

The roots of English words also include German..



Old English stigel, stile "device for climbing, ladder," related to stigen "to climb," from Proto-Germanic *stig- "to climb" (see stair). An arrangement to allow persons to pass but not sheep and cattle.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stile

[Jim Matthews]

Rails and stile.

For me as a non-native English speak person the name looks me odd, actually I would expect the opposite ...

As a former, poorly trained TOEFL instructor I can say with confidence that English has more exceptions than rules. That's what happens when an isolated population makes things up as they go along.