Etymology Dictionary

HAMMERCLOTH,  the cloth which covers a coach-box.  (Hybrid; Du. and E.)   In Todd's Johnson.   The form hammer is an E. adaptation of the Du. word hemel (which was not understood); with the addition of E. cloth, by way of giving a sort of sense.—Du. hemel (1), heaven (2) a tester, covering.   'Den hemel van een koetse, the seeling of a coach,' Hexham; explained by Sewel as 'the testern of a coach.'   β. Cognate with Swed., Dan., and G. himmel, heaven, a canopy, tester.   All these are derivatives from the form appearing in A.S. hama, Icel. hamr, a covering.—Teut. base HAM = ✔KAM, to curve, cover as with a vault; see Chamber. [†]

ADDENDA

HAMMER-CLOTH,  Orig. spelt with only one m.   'Hamer-clothes, with our armes and badges of our colours and all other things apperteinynge unto the said wagon;' Archæologia, xvi. 91 (Document of the time of Q. Mary).   See N. and Q. 2 S. xi. 66.   Mr. Palmer, in his Folk-Etymology, corrects 'coach' to 'couch' in my quotation from Sewel.   But in the copy used by me (ed. 1754, p. 138) the word is 'coach;' and so it is in Hexham.   Sewel explains koets both by 'coach' and by 'couch;' Hexham explains koetse both by 'coach' and by 'bed;' and gives the verb koetsen, 'to ride in a coach or wagon,' where the sense cannot be doubted.   Sewel may be wrong, but my quotation is accurate, as may be verified by any who may please to look.   I may note that hammer- cannot possibly be from Icel. ham-r, where the -r is merely a case-sign, and nothing more.