[Middle English forke, digging fork, from Old English forca, and from Old North French forque both from Latin furca.]
2006-06-28 10:58:26
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answer #1
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answered by HL 5
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It is a myth that the fork was introduced to West during the Middle Ages, as the Romans used forks for serving.
Before the fork was introduced, many Westerners were reliant on the spoon and knife as the only eating utensils. Thus, people would largely eat food with their hands. Members of the aristocracy would sometimes be accustomed to manners considered more proper and hold two knives at meals and use them to both cut and transfer food to the mouth.
The fork was introduced in the Middle East before the year 1000. The earliest forks usually had only two tines, but those with numerous tines caught on quickly. The tines on these implements were straight, meaning the fork could only be used for spearing food and not for scooping it. The fork was a great development in that it allowed meat to be easily held in place while being cut. The fork also allowed one to spike a piece of meat and shake off any undesired excess of sauce or liquid before consuming it. By the 11th century the table fork had made its way to Italy by way of the Byzantine Empire. In Italy it became quite popular by the 14th century, being commonly used for eating by merchant and upper classes by 1600.
The fork's arrival in northern Europe was more difficult. Its use was first described in English by Thomas Coryat in a volume of writings on his Italian travels (1611), but for many years it was viewed as an unmanly Italian affectation. Some writers of the Catholic Church expressly disapproved of its use, seeing it as "excessive delicacy": "God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks — his fingers. Therefore it is an insult to Him to substitute artificial metallic forks for them when eating."[1][2] It was not until the 18th century that the fork became commonly used in Great Britain. It was around this time that the curved fork used today was developed in Germany. The standard four-tine design also became current at this time (the three-pronged variety is known as a trident or more whimsically, a "threek").
The 20th century also saw the emergence of the runcible spoon (popularly referred to as spork), a utensil that is half fork and half spoon. With this new fork-spoon, only one piece of cutlery is needed when eating (so long as no knife is required). The back of the spork is shaped like a spoon and can scoop food while the front has a few tines like a fork to poke at food substance, making it convenient and easy to use.
2006-06-30 07:20:19
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answer #2
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answered by Texas Cowboy 7
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Check out the Meriam Webster Dictionary Site
2006-07-07 05:40:41
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answer #3
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answered by batboy88 2
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fork in the road, fork in a tree , fork in the turkey
2006-07-04 20:31:44
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answer #4
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answered by snowcrablegs 5
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from spork which teknely comes from spoon and fork
f=french
o=obtained
r=rocket
k=kenetic use
2006-07-09 07:18:52
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answer #5
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answered by nieka 2
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hope not from "dork"?
not knowing how to use a "fork"?
2006-07-11 18:17:50
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answer #6
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answered by >(",)< 2
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what's there 2 u, just use it to enjoy ur food
2006-07-12 05:20:07
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answer #7
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answered by zack 3
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