Nav wrote:
Gilligan wrote:
No such thing as a garfish. They are called gars, eastern and
western.


"A fish of the Pike or Esox family of the genus Belone, having long
bill-like jaws; the gar-fish or gar-pike."


Garboard definitely has the same origin roots as brabboard and
chaffle-stays. It has nothing in common with the clowgasp or
claut-snells.


But what of 'gal'?

It's from the Dutch "gaarbord", a contrACTION OF GADEREN, TO GATHER
PLUS
BOORD, A BOARD. tHE PLANKS OR PLATES ADJOINING THE KEEL. wHAT KIND
OF FEEBLE
DICTIONARY ARE YOU USING?


Your caps lock is on. A convenient (if unedifying) explanation
perhaps,
but is it right? Was Winshooten a sailor or might he have been trying
to
make sense of words also? Is it possible that the Dutch term was
derived
from some other similar sounding word? Who used this construction
BEFORE
the Dutch?

Cheers
....snip...
Any other ideas?

Cheers

No need to go to other languages. In Old English "gar" means spear.
Remember your Beowulf; the "gardana" are the "spear-Danes."

And, as we say in South Louisiana, I guaron-damn-tee, cher, dat there's
a fish called a garfish. And he got a big cousin, him. We call dat one
the "alligator gar". Me, I dunno what dem scientific names might be,
no; but dat's what everybody down de bayou call 'em.
Frank (aka loup garou)