A Model Mill Town no3: Workers' Houses and Canal by sandra46
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Description
Just across the main street, opposite the jute mill and former warehouses, there are these new apartments, built where the old workers' houses were once. They reproduce, but not copy exactly, the old houses, and the colors are typical of the old houses of the region. The canal passes under the street: it both fed the machines of the mill and was used to carry raw fibers and finished goods.
As Madbat did, I also wondered about the connection between jute and whore houses. This is what I found. The word 'jute' meaning the plant fiber entered English in 1746-50, from Bengali jhuto, from Sanskrit juta-s, 'twisted hair,' related to jata 'braid of hair," of unknown origin, probably from a non-Indo-European language. In Chinese Mandarin slang jute means prostitute and is pronounced 'Jootah.' This word goes back to around the 18th century, when Meng Haoran, a well known Chinese poet used the word as a derogatory to prostitutes. For ex. there are jutes at every corner in town. It's also used for one who frequently subscribes to Afro-Eurasian prostitutes, according to the Urban Dictionary. Jute is also a Derryism (a slang word peculiar to the town of (London)Derry in N. Ireland) used to describe the female genitalia. Moreover, 'mill' is a slang term to mean a woman who is an absolute slut.
Hence, my opinion is that the word was brought to Britain from China and India by British sailors, soldiers and traders. Whether the Chinese Mandarin slang term has something to do with the fact that jute braids reminded some hairdo of Chinese prostitutes, or jute was used as cheap silk, or was used(and still is) to fill cheap mattresses, I can't say. But the connection between women and jute in Britain is easier to see: often women working in factories were thought of as whores. Many had to add to their meager wages with a bit of prostitution, and whore houses were often close or inside the industrial districts. Jute had a glorious industrial history in Dundee, Scotland. Initially, due to its texture, it could only be processed by hand until it was discovered in that city that treating it with whale oil, it could be treated by machine. Most of the workers in the Dundee Jute Mills were women, many of them from Ireland. Possibly the Derryism is a relic of this past. I hope this story makes sense.
Thanks for your kind comments.
Comments (45)
Faemike55
Great picture and very interesting language history lesson
bimm3d
wonderful photo and great info!!
durleybeachbum
Engrossing info! This deveopment looks so attractive in your photo..I wonder what it's like to live in.
drifterlee
Fantatic shot!!
jayfar
Great shot and great info.
renecyberdoc
excellent journey this mill series.
alanwilliams
wonderful lively colour topped off with a very interesting and informative narrative
flora-crassella
FANTASTIC picture!!!!!
Umbetro38
wonderful clear capture
Sea_Dog
Very nice view, Sandra.
brycek
Wonderful capture and history!
tennesseecowgirl
Terrific work~
claude19
EXCEPTIONAL photography with splendid colors ! Great point of vue ! EXCELLENT !
DananJaya_Chef
Wonderful capture, love the POV. Fantastic!
lior
Wonderful and joyful!!!!!!!!!
Vialliy
Interesting history on jute and whores. I like the classic composition. What is the yellow in the upper-right corner?
magnus073
Superb capture of the apartments there Sandra, and the history you found regarding the link to jute and whore houses was fascinating.
mariogiannecchini
Bella immagine della parte piĆ¹ moderna !Interessanti cenni storici e linquistici !
jeroni
Wonderful and very creative work
amota99517
Wow! That is one amazing shot. The colors of the houses are so inviting.
Radar_rad-dude
A most marvelous photographic presentation and fact filled descriptive! Well done, Sandra! Always a pleasure!
mgtcs
WOW...Another masterful shot Sandra, what a beautiful place and colors, amazing capture my friend! **
Minda
OUTSTANDING WORK sandra..
alessimarco
A marvelous and beautiful capture! Interesting etymologies too!
LovelyPoetess
Wonderful image, love the POV : )
Madbat
That's interesting info, and it does make sense. AS top the image, it makes for a colorful neighborhood.
erlandpil
Great picture erland
Hendesse
Fantstic colors, light and perspective. Great shot and interesting story!!
ragouc
Great shot.
MagikUnicorn
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