Talk:sny

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Let's just say your definition might reflect someone's usage, but after 15 years of searching for the real meaning, your definition is a misunderstanding of a misunderstanding, ect. Best I've been able to learn, its real meaning was cloaked in secrecy by the tradesmen known as Liners who were simply trying to save the secrets of their trade for their sons, ect. Sny is the reaction inside a plank to being bent and twisted at the same time. The reaction mentioned occurs inside as a result of the planks structure working against itself. The net result is that the end rises perpendicular to the upper edge of the plank. So you have this rise at both ends of a planked hull. Picture the plank I have described above. It has the shape of a smiley face, but in the parlance of old, it was said to "hang", not sny. You should try doing research using a modern definition for a old word. To further hide their secrets, they referred to freshly gotten out planks that had an unhappy face as sny. When you understand that the essence of "spiling" is anticipating "sny", a plank with an excessive unhappy face is planned for a fit against the hull with a lot of bend and twist. As you can see, this word doesn't lend itself to a simple definition. It is my contention that the publication of dictionaries has done more to hide the real meaning of this neat word, than any tradesman could ever have envisioned. Call me if you wish at (personal information removed). Bob Giles
 * Yes, the word really is obscure, and it also can mean the curve of planks in the other direction. Do you have any good citations to support your view?    D b f  i  r  s   18:02, 18 September 2009 (UTC)

Sorry for the delay, I didn't receive your response. Read " Sutherland's The Shipbuilders Assistant published in 1711". That is the earliest date I know of where "Sny " was used. He is clear that the Sheer of a hull is said to Hang (smiley face), not Sny. Then his discussion involving the word Sny is as though it is so everyday that it didn't even rate being in his glossary of terms. Neither did the word Gise. However he tied the word Sny to his discussion of that portion of the bow that required a plank to endure a significant amount of bend and then twist as it was wrainned into place. The wrainning process allowed the end of the plank to rise as it sought the position for which it was spiled to fit. On the hull, it would appear straight or at least it generally follow the flow of the sheer once in place. What isn't clear in Sutherland's book, but is clear in the writings of Eric McKee, that the terms Hang and Sny were referring to the shape of the freshly gotten out planks not yet wrainned against the hull. To make sense out of how Sutherland and other used the word Sny, you need to understand the dynamics of applying wood to the curvilinear shape of a hull, and also how to line off a hull. That others have misused the word and the dictionaries have repeated it, for me at least demonstrates that these folk don't get the whole picture. Above I said the end of the plank rises as it is twisted into the place designed for it (the result of lining off) so it follows the sheer. You could say that once in place, it smiles. But the fact it follows the sheer has nothing to do with Sny, the hull is lined off so that every single seam and butt is planned as soon as the frames are erected. It is interesting to me that we refer to the hang of the sheer and call the process of fastening planks in place on the hull "hanging planks". I have over 500 books in my collection simply because they have significant content about planking. I would love to have you here so I could explain and show you all the vocabulary problems that were generated by the ignorance of those who could write. Do you know, for example that the words strake and plank have two entirely different definitions, a series of wooden planks fills the void that is defined as the strake. I hope someone sends me your response quicker the next time. Bob Giles

RFC discussion: September 2012–October 2017
Going about in circles. Sny, etym 4, says it is an alternative spelling of snye which, in turn, is given as: Eighteenth-century spelling of sny (abound, swarm, teem, be infested) ... from etym 2 of sny. I believe that both snye and sny, etym 4, should be: a small channel of water (see the quotes given). --AnWulf ... Ferþu Hal! (talk) 08:37, 28 September 2012 (UTC)


 * I agree with you. Changed the entry. --P5Nd2 (talk) 17:00, 22 October 2017 (UTC)

Transitivity for etymology 2 (abound, swarm...)
The cite says "the place is fair snied wi' 'em", which looks like transitive usage; but it's glossed intransitive. Equinox ◑ 18:16, 9 December 2017 (UTC)