Whittawer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A craftsperson who treats leather with alum and salt to make it white, supple, and suitable for gloves or fine garments
2. A leather worker who whitens and softens hides through a specialized tanning process using alum rather than oak bark
3. An artisan who prepares leather by applying alum and salt to bleach and condition it into a soft, pale material

Etymology: "Whittawer" is an alternative form of "whittaw," a term for a tanner who prepares white leather, and its name comes straight from the process. The word is equivalent to "white taw," with "taw" being the old word for treating hides with alum and salt so they stay pale and supple rather than being tanned with bark or other dyeing agents. The result was a soft, light-coloured leather, and the craftsman who produced it took his name from that colour. The "white" in the compound is the plain English adjective, and the "taw" is the working term for the treatment itself. Together they describe the finished product rather than the tanner's tools or trade, which is why the name points to a colour rather than a method of tanning in general.