DCHP-3

bay ice

DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)

Spelling variants:
bay-ice

1n. — Newfoundland, Arctic, Outdoors

this year's ice; ice formed over one winter in a bay or harbour.

Type: 2. Preservation — The Newfoundland meaning of the term bay ice (see DNE, s.v. "bay" (n.)) is likely a preservation from British English. Brockett (1846: 29) claims that bay ice originally derived from a verb form of bay meaning 'to bend' and was thus 'ice thin enough to bend'. However, in the early 1800s, many English and American explorers navigated the passage between Greenland and Baffin Island, just north of Newfoundland and Labrador. This surge in travel around the Arctic region seems to have resulted in several terms describing ice conditions, and so bay ice was semantically narrowed to refer specifically to recently formed ice (see Dodsley 1822: 1324 & Kane 1854: 109). Because of Newfoundland's proximity to these expeditions, as well as exposure to whalers with extensive nautical terminology, bay ice transferred into local vocabulary (see the 1923 quotation).
See also COD-2, s.v. "bay ice", which is marked "Cdn (Nfld)", Gage-5, s.v. "bay ice", which is marked "Cdn.".
Note that this meaning of bay ice is not the same as the ice formed on the bays of the Great Lakes in the winter, or in other places, e.g. "skating on the bay ice is at your own risk" is a different meaning.

Quotations

1822
6. Bay-ice is that which is newly-formed on the sea, and consists of two kinds, common bay-ice, and pancake-ice; the former occuring in smooth extensive sheets, and the latter in small circular pieces with raised edges.
1851
During the month of September the bay ice formed so strongly as to cement the whole mass together, forming one large floe.
1865
In winter the sea is frozen near the coast to a thickness of 18 inches or more; in spring the northern ice comes down in vast masses. In 1864 this spring drift was 150 miles wide, and it floated past Cape Race. From a careful examination of the water-line at many spots, it appears that bay-ice grinds rock, but does not produce striation.
1875
Suffice it to say that all sea-ice forms originally from the "bay-ice" of the whaler [...] and that this "bay-ice" is almost entirely fresh, the effect of Arctic freezing temperature being to precipitate the salt.
1923
July, 1922, began with an ice-free harbour, and the hunters from outside came to trade and put their boats in order for the summer. Such an early thawing out of the bay-ice always raises hopes of early communication with the outside world, but seldom are the hopes fulfilled.
1977
Them Days ii (3), 45 When he come the bay ice was gone so he come across the brook just above the wharves.
1979
TIZZARD 98 Sometimes during late fall or early spring, when the water was rough or the bay ice had not yet thawed out, he would walk the whole distance to Summerford [with the mail].
1986
Evening Telegram 7 Apr, p. 2 People living in the community of Hampden [White Bay] don't want the ice broken up [by the ice-breaker] as people there are involved in logging during the winter and spring and use the bay ice for a roadway.
2007
There was always such promise in seeing that bay ice break up and renew the energy for Spring and Summer.
2016
The Canadian Coast guard warn of open ice channels in Botwood harbour with the ships making runs in the bay and around the wharf areas. Please use caution when travelling on the bay ice.

References

  • Gage-5
  • COD-2
  • Kane (1854)
  • Brockett (1846)
  • Dodsley (1822)
  • DNE