To Walk Once Meant to Roll and Full Cloth
A walker walks. The Old English verb meant to roll or toss, and it survives in the surname Walker, which comes from cloth making.
A walker is someone who walks, or a frame that helps someone to. The verb has moved a long way: Old English *wealcan* meant to roll or toss, and a *walker* was a fuller — a worker who trod woollen cloth in water to thicken it. That is where the surname comes from, not from walking about. The modern sense of travelling on foot took over by the 1300s.
- Someone who walks. *An early morning walker.*
- A walking frame. *She uses a walker.*
- A baby walker. *A wheeled baby walker.*
- Jaywalker — someone crossing against the rules. *Fined as a jaywalker.*
- Walker — a surname from cloth fulling. *The surname Walker.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | walk | Walk home. |
| Past | walked | We walked far. |
| Agent | walker | A keen walker. |
| Noun | walk | A short walk. |
| Compound | walkway | A covered walkway. |
- Walkers were out early on the ridge.Hiking.
- He manages short distances with a walker.Mobility aid.
- The surname Walker comes from cloth working.Etymology.
Surnames from cloth making
- Walker — a fuller, who trod cloth to thicken it
- Fuller — the same trade, under a different name
- Weaver — self-explanatory
- Dyer — who coloured the cloth
- Webster — originally a female weaver
Old English *wealcan*, to roll or toss, plus the agent ending -ere. The meaning of travelling on foot developed in Middle English.
Is the surname Walker about walking?
No. It comes from fulling cloth, a job done by treading wool in water. Fuller is the same trade under another name.
What is a jaywalker?
Someone crossing a road carelessly or illegally. Jay was American slang for a rustic or fool, and the word dates from the 1910s.