just the mervrow thing

The Whorl list — 2 messages, 2 voices, 18 Apr 2000
https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/whorl/823

shannon wilde18 Apr 2000, 21:16original
um, I seem to recall a reference somewhere (erudite ones, help) of Dutch seamen taking "sea wives" for their extended journeys of exploration and trade, ports and tropical isles not always being convenient. So the term "mervrow(frow, etc.) came into use as a not-particularly pejorative term. After all, these weren't just casual fling type relationships, and they served more than one vital function, deserving of respect in their own right, plus of course the usual status of captain's lady. If anyone can back me up, i'd be most grateful, but i feel pretty sure of this. Tottergrass
Alastair Reynolds19 Apr 2000, 07:23original

↳ follows, by subject match shannon wilde

12 quoted lines
um, I seem to recall a reference somewhere (erudite ones, help) of Dutch seamen taking "sea wives" for their extended journeys of exploration and trade, ports and tropical isles not always being convenient. So the term "mervrow(frow, etc.) came into use as a not-particularly pejorative term. After all, these weren't just casual fling type relationships, and they served more than one vital function, deserving of respect in their own right, plus of course the usual status of captain's lady. If anyone can back me up, i'd be most grateful, but i feel pretty sure of this. Tottergrass
Fascinating - and given the general permeation of Dutch culture by things maritime, more than believable. Al *This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun.

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