Cordwainer or Cordiner

[MythicalMarian]

It may sound daft, but does anyone know just how the word 'Cordwainer' was pronounced - or is pronounced today? I only ask out of idle curiosity, but I was wondering if it was like one of those nautical words (boatswain, gunwhale etc) that gets shortened into some totally different pronunciation.

I have always thought the word was pronounced as written - i.e. 'Cordwayner' but in some older parish registers, wills etc. I have seen the word written as 'Cordiner'.

Any clues, anyone?

[Geoffers]

I've seen it in documents (indenture, will and registers) written as both Cordainer and Cordiner. Similarly it has specifically been written as Cordwainer or Cordwayner. I would think it depends on accent, and to some extent social standing.........in much the same way as my wife calls her youngest son (and me) dense northerners for referring to 'grass' and 'path' - he calls her a southern snob for saying 'graarss' and 'paarth', it's a happy household.

As to how Cordwainer might be pronounced these days, I afraid that I don't know the Chinese or Vietnamese for the word ;) - apart from my Scarpa walking boots and shoes (Italian), it seems most footwear is imported these days.

[jeanettemarie]

I had a look at the history of cordwainers when looking for my ggrandfather, and it apparently, and I quote from the Family Tree Magazine
"comes from the Spanish who used high class soft leather obtained from spanish goats known as Cordwain or Cordovan The fine white leather was imported from Cordba where the locals perfected a process using alum to produce a soft white finish.Souters and Cordwainers were at the top of their profession and the items these tradesmen produced were always cosidered a luxury."
Hope this helps:D
Jeanette

[MythicalMarian]

Thanks for the replies, Geoffers and Jeanettemarie. I did know about the Cordoba/Cordova connection. My particular cordwainer was literate enough to sign a beautiful neat signature on his marriage licence bond and allegation and his sons were educated too, so he may well have had a thriving little cottage industry going in 1760s Cheadle.

[Colin Moretti]

Referring to my trusty Shorter Oxford English Dictionary I find that both cordwainer and cordiner are given, with the latter described as now Scottish, each with pronunciation as spelled; so perhaps you pays your money and you takes your choice, as Geoffers suggests.

Colin