Translating…
Have you ever wondered why certain things were called as that, and why certain jobs were called that, like plumbing, for instance?
A Rose By Any Other Name
A lot of things can be inferred from a name. It can tell of the nature, the personality, or the characteristic of the owner of the name. In fact, in the old days, what people know now as surnames, that is, the last name of a person, was originally derived from what a person’s occupation was. When you came across a man whose name was Michael Fisher, for example, you would know that he was a fisherman. A name of William Thatcher would imply that he was a mender of roofs, nets and other upholstery, and if he was alive in the old days, Harry Potter would imply that he was the son of a man who made clay pots for a living.
So in a world of Coopers making barrels, Bakers making bread, and Tailors sewing clothes, how in the world did a Plumber who laid down pipes come about?
How The Plumber Got His Name
The answer comes from the plumbing material itself-Lead.
Have you noticed that the elemental symbol used for lead is Pb, and not Le, or Ld, or anything else closely resembling Lead? The answer is because before the 1800s, lead was still known by its Latin name plumbum , which is where the symbol Pb came from. Lead and tin were not distinguishable from each other back then, and both was called plumbum (” nigrum ” or “black lead” for real lead, and ” candidum ” or “bright lead” for tin). Even after the names were officially changed into lead and tin, the original symbol Pb derived from the Latin name of plumbum stuck, and is still used to this day.
Of course, that will explain why plumbers are called plumbers (and not pipers … or leaders), and why plumbing was named as such. It gives you an idea that even before the 17th century, lead pipes were commonly used for the water system, something which is used even today.
Piece of History
Though the times have changed, some pieces of history still continue to live on. It is fascinating to know about the origins of things, because it gives you an insight of its nature. It is fascinating to think that most of the fundamentals of old-world plumbing have proven to be so effective to withstand the passage of time.