Hello All,

First, a big thanks to all who responded in the ‘must have 17th and 18 
Century Bee Books’ thread!
The info was very helpful!

I predict this thread might sink like a Led Zepplen, as most folks aren't 
into this sort of stuff, but here goes,,,  ;)

Resurrecting a shelved project,,,
I’m assembling  ‘An Etymological Dictionarie of Historic Beekeeping 
Terms‘,  with particular attention to obscure terms not commonly used 
today.

For instance:
An etymology dictionary would contain the definitions, plus the language 
of origin, and earliest known date for word use.  So I am seeking 
resources to help me with the project if anyone should happen to know of a 
etymology resource, old bee books &c, that might help researching obscure 
beekeeping terminology, I would greatly appreciate any help. 

So looking at a few definitions, the word ’apiary’ in an etymology 
dictionary would be: 

apiary - a place where bees are kept; especially : a collection of hives 
or colonies of bees kept for their honey.
Etymology: Latin apiarium, from apis bee, neut. of apiarius "of bees," 
from apis "bee," 
Date: 1654 

Many of the entomologies for beekeeping terms can be found in online 
dictionaries, but you will not find in these dictionaries obscure terms 
such as  ‘bee bole’, ‘driving bees’, ‘bee lining’ and ‘bee gum’.  So they 
must be researched and verified, in order to craft a correct definition, 
entomology and first use. 

So in researching the definition and entomology for bee gum,  it develops 
into an informative definition depicting its source of origin in 
beekeeping history:

bee gum - A beehive located in a hollow tree or log. 
Etymology:  Chiefly in Southern U.S.  many log hives especially in the 
southern states, were made from black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), because its 
heartwood decays first, leaving the trunk hollow.  Such hives were called 
gums, and this word came into general use for any hive.  Gums were 
mentioned twice in Georgia in the mid-1700’s:  Harrod ’got a bee gum’ 
which was taken down river in a canoe, and Governor Selby ’gave a cow and 
a calf for a gum’ (Oertel, 1976)
Date: mid 18 century  

Many online dictionaries include Etymology for the word ‘skep’.  But in 
researching this word I find an obscure variance in spelling, and we need 
to account for this fact in our definition. 

skep - a domed hive made of twisted straw
Etymology: Middle English skeppe basket, beehive, from Old English sceppe 
basket, from Old Norse skeppa bushel; akin to Old High German sceffil 
bushel, scaf tub. In USA, during the 19 century till about 1905, Chiefly 
in Pennsylvania was written as ’skap’  
Date: 15th century 

It would be neat to find out where this variation of ‘scap’ originated, 
and why, so this is a priority search for me.

Amongst obscure terms, ‘driving bees’ is a term which perhaps most 
beekeepers today have no idea what it means. 
I am still in the process of researching this term, looking at England and 
perhaps early Spain for first use, we have the beginnings of the 
definition driving bees: 

driving bees -  the driving of bees from one skep to another for the 
purpose of taking honey without killing the bees, by inverting the hive 
and driving the bees into an empty skep placed above it, by beating 
rhythmically on the sides of the inverted hive with a stick or stone 
Some beekeepers using this method made ‘forced swarms’ by inverting a hive 
and driving bees into an empty hive placed above it until two thirds of 
them, including the queen, had gone up.
Etymology: Earliest reference to driving in England is probably that in 
Thomas Tusser’s beekeeping instructions in verse, printed in 1557

Any assistance from beekeepers in Europe for origin and first use 
of ‘driving bees’ would be greatly appreciated.

I’m also looking for origin and first use of the word ‘bee lining’.  
Research so far suggests it originated in America and as of now, I have 
not found old records of beelining in Europe.  I found an account of 
beelinging in the book printed in 1793 in England titled ‘Travels in the 
interior inhabited parts of North America, In the years 1791 and 1792.’  
It gives an account of a method of "finding out bees in the woods" in New 
England.  

I am also seeking first use for the trem 'bee bole' and origin of word.
Any help or tips, greatly appreciated! Can send to [log in to unmask]
Thanks!

Best Wishes,
Joe Waggle
Pennsylvania

THE SWARM:
"Up mounts the chief, and, to the cheated eye, 
Ten thousand shuttles dart along the sky ; 
As swift through aether rise the rushing swarms, 
Gay dancing to the beam their sunbright forms ; 
And each thin form, still lingering on the sight, 
Trails as it shoots, a line of silver light. 
High poised on buoyant wing, the thoughtful queen, 
In gaze attentive, views the varied scene, 
And soon her far-fetched ken discerns below; 
The light laburnam lift her polished brow, 
Wave her green leafy ringlets o'er the glade. 
Swift as the falcon's sweep, the monarch bends 
Her flight abrupt; the following host descends 
Round the fine twig, like clustered grapes they close 
In thickening wreaths, and court a short repose." -EVANS 
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/

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