Talk:Wharf
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similar to dock, but specific to the land side where dock usually refers to the ships side.
I don't agree. Docks can be the water, or the enclosure of the water or a pier or a wharf. Wharves are subsets or parts of docks.
where are wharfs seen in stories? What makes a wharf different from a dock?
Wharves are seen in the more peurile detective novels like the Hardy boys or Nancy Drew books.
In fact it seems to be a iron law that any visit to a wharf will be in the fog and will result in being soaked over the head with a pipe. This is the famous Sappier Wharf hypothesis.
Did anyone know that WHARF stands for WhareHouse At River Front? Jon.
I discovered that wharf was standing for WareHouse At River Front when visiting London Docklands. Added it in the article. Not sure about Warehouse spelling. Is that Ware or Whare? Thom
This premise that wharf is an acronym is about as false as similar premises for fuck, posh etc. Nearly all acronyms are of extremely modern origin.
A connection with the Dutch word 'werf' (roughly translated as 'shipyard') is likely.
My dictionary says: "Late Old English hwearf bank, shore; related to hweorfan to turn"
Grendlegrutch 09:42, 16 November 2006 (UTC)
The picture shown with this article seems to show something sticking out into water like a pier, but the article says wharfs are supposed to be parallel not perpendicular to the water. Maybe a clearer picture is needed.
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[edit] distinction between wharf + pier
I think the difference is in construction in that a pier is a platform above the water whereas a wharf is an embankment that displaces the water. I dont the the parallel/ perpendicular thing is right: for one thing the picture in the article shows a wharf perpendicular to the shore, also Merriam-Webster's definition says "a structure built along or at an angle from the shore...." 1 Insist it persists 20:56, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Wharf or quay?
Can somebody explain the difference (if any) between a wharf and a quay? Please, I need to know! 213.7.8.71 09:07, 16 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Wharf / pier / quay
The observation that "a pier is a platform above the water whereas a wharf is an embankment that displaces the water" sounds right. However, a quay is also a solid structure that displaces the water. Perhaps the perpendicular/horizontal distinction applies to wharf/quay. But which is which? Grendlegrutch 09:35, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] WareHouse At River Front
Although of course it is backronymic, maybe this is right after all: a quay is simply a solid platform, while a wharf is a quay + warehouses and other ancillary structures. Yes/no?
