Dear Histarchers,  Some time ago someone had a query about the Dutch word
'beerput'. My cousin Marianne van Kempen sent me the following:

  "The word "beerput".  Beer has 4 meanings in Dutch:    1. Bear (animal).
2. Human droppings (very old-Dutch, we don't use it anymore).         3.
Male pig.    4. Buttress (architecture).
Put means pit.
Beerput has 2 meanings;  1. Pit for droppings.    2. Reservoir for dirty
and indecent affairs (businesses).... [for example, 'That house is a beerput'].
I do remember a farm where a shelf with a big hole was placed over a
beerput as a toilet. (I'm getting old)."

Cousin means human waste when she writes 'human droppings'. To me 'beerput'
is the same as privy pit. All privy pits I have excavated were used for
depositing both human waste and household rubbish. I do keep track of Dutch
archaeology and the material described as coming from 'beerputs' are of the
same nature as material generally excavated from older privies.

Regards,    Robert.




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