Quick links
sprinkles
DCHP-2 (Mar 2014)
Spelling variants:bough sprinkles, brinkles, prinkles
n. pl. — Newfoundland, Flora
needles of a coniferous tree.
Type: 2. Preservation — Sprinkles is one of the many terms in Newfoundland and Labrador English used to refer to the needles of evergreen trees. According to Clarke (2010b: 120), this term in particular is used more often on the northeast coast of the island, where there is a large population of people of southwest English ancestry. It is thus established that sprinkles, much like several other terms peculiar to the province, is a preservation from West Country English. Clarke (2010b: 120) lists brimbles and pin boughs as corresponding terms in the southern areas of Newfoundland.
See also DNE, s.v. "sprinkle" (1).
See also DNE, s.v. "sprinkle" (1).
Quotations
1943
With regards to the bunkhouse, I can imagine how often when Mr. Hoddinott came out of the woods in the evening he pulled off them long rubbers and beat the bough sprinkles and dirt that was in them out of doors.
1949
And while the ground moss was well patterned with what looked like rabbit paths, the fir sprinkles that fell lately were undisturbed instead of being padded into the soft grooves.
1952
The crackerberries and horsepuffs were on higher ground underneath the big spruces, where I used to fill my pockets with frankum to take home. Here the ground was so dry and soft with a mattress of sprinkles that lying under a tree was like being in bed.
1966
(1) LEAVES OF LOCAL CONIFERS. The prickley leaves of local conifers such as the spruce and fir are known by a variety of names. Their distribution among the informants correlates well with social grouping and age. Sprinkles [‘sprɪŋkәlz] (six occurrences) and prinkles (one occurrence) were found only in Group 1 and the older members of Group 2. Sprigs [‘sprɪgz] (three occurrences) and needles [‘nɪi̭dl̩z] (four occurrences) were elicited only from Groups 3 and 2. Informant 21 was the only one to use prickles [‘prɪkәlz].
References
- Clarke (2010b)
- DNE