Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Forest
(3,808 words)

1. Terminology

To many a forest is the epitome of nature, but it is also part of human culture. In modern German, a Wald (“woodland”) is thought of more as part of the natural environment, a Forst (“forest”) as a managed Wald. Wald goes back to OHG wald (also walth, Proto-Germanic walpus or walthus, Indo-European waltus), which can also mean “wilderness,” “land that has not been subject to human culture” [12. 34]. The etymology of Fors…

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Selter, Bernward and Marquardt, Bernd, “Forest”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_029982>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180126



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