 |
| Quawk Hammock |
Although the irreverent Old Quawk may have actually existed...and been lost at sea on March 16 many years ago, there are other explanations for the name Quawk (or Quoke, etc.). This is what Roger Payne has writes in his book, Place Names of the Outer Banks:
"Actually the name is a derivation of the spelling of the word quaking. A low wet marsh or hummock (hammock) is sometime referred to as a quaking hammock or a quake hammock. some sources indicate that if the marsh contains certain species of grass whose spikelets make a rattling or quaking noise in the wind, it is known as a quaking hammock. A quaking or quake hammock may also have its origin from the Middle English term quaghe which eventually meant quag or quake and referred to wet low marshes. The term quaking bog is a common reference in fourteenth and fifteenth century England."
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a brief history of Howard's Pub. You can read it here: https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082117.htm.
What differentiates between a hammock, cove, bay, inlet, etc? I see so many areas that appear to be the same that it is confusing. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteanother interesting entry in the daily bog of Philip Howard...Thank you AGAIN.(I am waiting to hear the answer to Julie's question)
ReplyDeleteIn November, 2016, I addressed the different definitions of sound, bay, estuary, and lagoon. You can read that here: https://villagecraftsmen.blogspot.com/2016/11/sound-bay-esturary-lagoon.html
ReplyDeleteA hammock, or hummock, is not a body of water. It is a small elevated area, often covered with trees, within a surrounding marsh or wetland.
A cove is a small recess in a shoreline, and inlet is most commonly used to describe a narrow passage of water between islands (e.g. Ocracoke Inlet or Hatteras Inlet).