In Cornwall, ? – 19ᵗʰ century, a unit of liquid capacity, = 1 gill = ¼ pint. It had the same magnitude in Jersey.
M. A. Courtney.
West Cornwall.
in Glossary of Words in Use in Cornwall.
Published for the English Dialect Society.
London: Trübner and Company, 1880.
1
In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674 – 1913 (www.oldbailey.org), the word “noggin”, in the sense of a unit of capacity (of gin, whisky and wine) occurs 4 times between 1719 and 1912. The word “gill” occurs much more often, but appears to have been applied only to wine and brandy. It seems that far from being a Cornish regionalism, in London in the 18ᵗʰ and 19ᵗʰ centuries “noggin” was a current term for a quarter-pint, when applied to alcoholic beverages.
2
Noggin, sb. a little piggin holding about a pint; à Teut. Noessel. [See Wedgwood's Etym. Dict.] See Piggin.
Piggin, sb. a little pail or tub, with an erect handle.
John Ray.
A Collection of English Words Not Generally
used, with their Significations and Original, in two Alphabetical
Catalogues, the one Of such as are proper to tbe Northern, the other to
the Southern Counties…. 2nd edition.
London: Printed for Christopher Wilkinson, 1691.
from the edition edited by W. W. Skeat for the English Dialect Society.
Reprinted Glossaries.
London: Trübner, 1873-1874.
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