lumberjack

the word 'lumberjack' is a classic american english compound from the late 19th century, formed from two older english words. 'lumber', which originally meant to move clumsily or referred to disused household items, evolved in north america to specifically mean cut timber. 'jack', a long-standing generic term for a man, was appended to denote a person engaged in that trade. the compound thus logically and literally means "a man who works with timber." it paints a vivid picture of the occupation central to the logging industry of the american and canadian frontiers.

Structure: lumber (wood) + jack (man) lumber: from middle english 'lomeren' (to move heavily), later associated with disused, cumbersome objects, and finally timber. origin: middle english, of uncertain origin, possibly scandinavian. jack: a familiar form of the name john, used from the 14th century as a generic term for any common man or laborer. origin: middle english, from old french 'jaque', from jacques (james).