gallipotn.

Etymology: The first element in this word (occurring also in galley-dish at galley n. 7, galley-tile n.) is of uncertain origin, but possibly identical with galley n., in which case the words etymologically denote pottery such as was brought in galleys , i.e. imported from the Mediterranean. Compare galley-halfpenny n.The Dutch synonym gleipot is not recorded till a century later than the date of our earliest examples of the English word, and the editors of the great Dutch dictionary think that its first element may possibly be identical with glei (frequent in the 17th cent.), a variant of galei galley n. In support of this view, it is pointed out that the Dutch kraakgoed , kraakporselein mean literally ‘porcelain imported in carracks ’, and a passage is quoted from the Inv. v. Brussel II. 206 which mentions ‘glass-wares brought in galleys and carracks’ (que les galees et les caraques amenent ). Farther, gleyers-werk is explained by Kilian as meaning Balearic or Majorcan pottery (compare majolica n. and adj.). On the other hand, the word glei is given in Kilian and Dutch dictionaries of the 17th cent. as a name for porcelain clay; but it has not been found in any text, except in the compound gleybacker, geley backer ‘porcelain baker’; and it may have been merely formed by misinterpretation of the compounds gleipot and gleiwerk, gleigoed (glazed pottery).