Swingelle

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A flat wooden implement used to beat and separate the woody fibres of flax stalks during processing
2. A wooden beating tool that knocks the fibre out of flax plants so it can be spun into linen
3. The wooden blade of a hand tool used for scutching flax, pounding away the stalk to release the usable fibre

Etymology: Swingelle is a noun for the wooden blade or beater used to knock the woody stalk away from flax fibres, a job known as swingling. The word comes from Middle Dutch "swinghel," a derivative of "swingen" ("to swing" or "to beat"), the same root that gives English "swingle." Flax processing was labour-intensive, and the tool was simply a swinging instrument for beating the stems until the fibre separated. The English form developed through the same farming trade that spread the technique. Dutch and Flemish flax workers were prominent in English linen production, which helps explain why the word was borrowed rather than coined locally. Its use was largely confined to the specialised vocabulary of textile workers, and the English word "swingle" was applied to the same implement, which later gave rise to the verb "swingle" meaning to beat flax.