Pointless Pedantry

[madbaker]

maestrateresa said "I'm always amused that they call them 'brokers' since they appear to be 'richers' from where I'm sitting".

Now, you should know me better than that. I can't let that one go by, especially when I have access to the OED.

broker ("br@Uk@(r)). Forms: 4-5 brocor, brokour, brocour(e, 6 brooker, brokar, 7 broaker, 5- broker. The Central Fr. equivalent was brocheor, brochiere; and the word is the agent noun of the OFr. vb. brochier, ONF. brokier (:-L. *broccare) in the sense 'to broach' or 'tap' a cask. Brocheor, brokeor stand in precisely the same relation to the n. broche, broc, and the vb. brochier, brokier, as tapster or rather the earlier tapper stand to the n. tap, and vb. to tap in Teutonic: the brocheor, brokeor, brokour, or broker, was lit. a tapster, who retailed wine 'from the tap', and hence, by extension, any retail-dealer, one who bought to sell over again, a second-hand dealer, or who bought for another, hence a jobber, middleman, agent, etc. Cf. sense of L. caupo.

I. A retailer of commodities; a second-hand dealer.
1. A retailer; Pedlar, petty dealer, monger. (Now sunk in sense 2.)
1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. vii. 95 Ghut am ich brocor of bakbytynge and blame mennes ware. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis i. (Arb.) 33 For gould his carcasse was sold by the broker Achilles. 1598 Marston Pigmal. i. 138 But Broker of anothers wit. 1657 J. Angier Elegy in S. Purchas Pol. Flying Ins., Brokers in verse condemn it. 1730 Young Ep. Pope i. Poems (1757) I. 183 Millions of wits, and brokers in old song.

broke (br@Uk), ppl. a.
3. slang.
a. In predicative use = broken ppl. a. 7; penniless; also broke to the wide (see wide n.) or broke to the world. Freq. with qualifying word, as clean, dead, flat broke, stone-broke (see stone n. 20), stony broke (see stony a. 6).
Cf. the following, which are properly instances of break v. 11.
[1665 Pepys Diary 6 July (1895) V. 6 It seems some of his creditors have taken notice of it, and he was like to be broke yesterday in his absence. 1669 Ibid. 12 Mar. (1896) VIII. 258 Being newly broke by running in debt.]

There you have it: the two are unrelated. "Middleman" predates "penniless" by 250 years.

Comments

[maestrateresa.livejournal.com]

Okay :)
How about "brochure"? Does it come from the same root as "broker"?

Nope.

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

brochure (broSyr, "br@USjU@(r). [Fr.; lit. 'a stitched work', f. brocher to stitch]

A short printed work, of a few leaves merely stitched together; a pamphlet.
1765 is the first dated usage. I'll have to pass this along to the wife!

Re: Nope.

[maestrateresa.livejournal.com]

Well, now I want to know if "brocher" and "brochier" are connected...one being to broach, as in a cask, and the other to broach fabric as with a needle? Enquiring minds, and all that :) I do realize, of course, that that particular question is probably beyond the scope of the OED, though :):):)

broach, the subject

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

broach (br@UtS), v.1 Forms: 4-6 broche, 5-7 broch, 6 broache, (8 dial. broych), 6- broach. [f. broach n.1: cf. F. brocher, Pr. brocar, brochar, It. broccare, f. broche, broca, brocca n. Cf. broker.]

1. trans. To pierce, stab, thrust through. Obs.
1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 212 To broche hem with a [pak-] nedle. c1400 Destr. Troy 9539 He was brochit thurgh the body with a big speire. 1557 K. Arthur (Copland) i. xvi, He broched ye hors of kynge Ban through and through. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis ii. (Arb.) 52 His feet..with raynes of bridil ybroached. 1599 Warn. Faire Wom. ii. 130 With the piercing steel Ready to broach his bosom. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows iii. 95. 364 Edward 2..was cruelly broached to death with an hot iron spit.

4. a. To pierce (a cask, etc.) so as to draw the liquor; to tap.
c1440 Promp. Parv. 52 Brochyn or settyn a vesselle broche, attamino. 1530 Palsgr. 471/1, I broche a wyne vessel, je perce. 1579 Fenton Guicciard. i. 31 It is too daungerous to broach a vessell of poyson. 1659-60 Pepys Diary (1879) I. 87 We broached a vessel of ale that we had sent for among us. 1707 Farquhar Beaux' Strat. i. i. 2 Here, Tapster, broach Number 1706. 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. V. xliii. 25 A pipe of wine was broached.

So, they are related, yes.

[aastg.livejournal.com]

"...the broker Achilles"...? Who were his parents, Peleus the Realty King and Thetis the Commodities Trader?