Tuffet on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
A tuffet is a small grassy mound or clump of grass; or alternatively a low seat.
The word is now known overwhelmingly from the nursery rhyme " Little Miss Muffet" which was first printed in 1805. It was originally a variant of the word " tuft" (e.g. of leaves or flowers), a usage which dates back at least to the 16th century. In the context of the nursery rhyme, the word may refer to a grassy hillock, a small knoll or mound. Perhaps due to misunderstanding of the rhyme, the word has also come to mean a low seat.
According to the
The
A tuffet is a small grassy mound or clump of grass; or alternatively a low seat.
The word is now known overwhelmingly from the nursery rhyme " Little Miss Muffet" which was first printed in 1805. It was originally a variant of the word " tuft" (e.g. of leaves or flowers), a usage which dates back at least to the 16th century. In the context of the nursery rhyme, the word may refer to a grassy hillock, a small knoll or mound. Perhaps due to misunderstanding of the rhyme, the word has also come to mean a low seat.
Uncertain meaning
Since the rhyme provides little context, several writers have expressed confusion about its meaning. In 1902, Samuel M. Crothers remarked, "Perhaps some of you would like to know what a tuffet is. I have thought of that myself, and have taken the trouble to ask several learned persons. They assure me that the most complete and satisfactory definition is,—a tuffet is the kind of thing that Miss Muffet sat on."As a grassy mound
According to the Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
the word in the nursery rhyme may refer to "a grassy hillock, a small knoll or mound".
Recorded examples of "tuffet" with the related meaning "tuft" (for example a cluster of short-stalked leaves or flowers growing from a common point) date back to 1553. Merriam-Webster
Merriam-Webster, Inc. is an American company that publishes reference books and is especially known for its dictionaries. It is the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States.
In 1831, George and Charles Merriam founded the company as ...
suggests that the word derives from the Anglo-French
Anglo-French (or sometimes Franco-British) may refer to:
*France–United Kingdom relations
*Anglo-Norman language or its decendants, varieties of French used in medieval England
*Anglo-Français and Français (hound), an ancient type of hunting d ...
, from "tufe", meaning "tuft".
Many illustrators have shown Miss Muffet sitting on a mound or hillock, including John Everett Millais
Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest ...
(1884) and Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. He is recognised as one of the leading figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration. His work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, ...
(1913).
As a low seat
The Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
gives a secondary definition "hassock or footstool", but calls this "doubtful". It lists an example from 1895 in which the meaning is "a three-legged stool" and another from 1904 with the meaning "footstool". Some sources, including ''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'', sometimes referred to simply as ''Brewer's'', is a reference work containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions, and figures, whether historical or mythical.
The "New Edit ...
'' (1898) and ''Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
The ''Chambers Dictionary'' (''TCD'') was first published by William and Robert Chambers as ''Chambers's English Dictionary'' in 1872. It was an expanded version of ''Chambers's Etymological Dictionary'' of 1867, compiled by James Donald. A sec ...
'' (1983), failed to recognise this meaning at all, and listed only the grassy knoll definition. Nevertheless, there is a long tradition of illustrators showing some sort of low seat, including Kate Greenaway
Catherine Greenaway (17 March 18466 November 1901) was an English Victorian artist and writer, known for her
children's book illustrations. She received her education in graphic design and art between 1858 and 1871 from the Finsbury School of ...
(1900) and Frederick Richardson
Frederick Richardson (1862 – 15 January 1937) was an American illustrator of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, best remembered for his illustrations of works by L. Frank Baum.
Life and career
A native Chicagoan, Richardso ...
(1915).
An 1888 variant of the rhyme has "she sat on a buffet" which the scholars Iona and Peter Opie
Iona Margaret Balfour Opie, (13 October 1923 – 23 October 2017) and Peter Mason Opie (25 November 1918 – 5 February 1982) were an English married team of folklorists who applied modern techniques to understanding children's literature and ...
point out certainly refers to a stool.
Many modern dictionaries including ''Collins'', ''Merriam-Webster'', ''Chambers 21st Century Dictionary'' and ''Oxford Dictionaries'' give both meanings.References
{{reflist, refs= {{Cite web , url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/tuffet , title=Tuffet , website=Collins , access-date=6 April 2020 {{cite book, first=Samuel McChord, last=Crothers, year=1902, title=Miss Muffet's Christmas Party, page=4, url=https://archive.org/details/missmuffetschris00crotrich/page/4/mode/2up {{cite book , last=Kirkpatrick , first=E. M. , title=Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
The ''Chambers Dictionary'' (''TCD'') was first published by William and Robert Chambers as ''Chambers's English Dictionary'' in 1872. It was an expanded version of ''Chambers's Etymological Dictionary'' of 1867, compiled by James Donald. A sec ...
, year=1983 , publisher=Chambers , location=Edinburgh , isbn=0550102345
{{cite web , title=Tuffet , work=Merriam-Webster online , url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuffet , accessdate=26 March 2020
{{Cite OED , tuffet , access-date= 25 November 2020
{{cite book , last=Brewer , first=E. Cobham , title=Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'', sometimes referred to simply as ''Brewer's'', is a reference work containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions, and figures, whether historical or mythical.
The "New Edit ...
, date=1898 , chapter=Tuffet , chapter-url=http://www.bartleby.com/81/16831.html
{{Cite book , last=Opie , first=Iona , title=The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes , last2=Opie , first2=Peter , publisher=Oxford University Press , year=1951 , page=324
{{Cite web , url=https://premium.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/tuffet , title=Tuffet , date=6 April 2020 , website=Oxford Dictionaries{{dead link, date=September 2022, bot=medic{{cbignore, bot=medic
{{Cite web , url=https://chambers.co.uk/search/?query=tuffet&title=21st , website=Chambers , title=Search Chambers, access-date=6 April 2020 ("Tuffet" in ''Chambers 21st Century Dictionary'')
Landforms
Seats