My goodness, my gracious!  In the past, not so long ago, a rather
in-depth discussion on the subject of hurdy-gurdy took place in this
same MMD.  I happen to remember that I myself did offer some notes
to that.  In vain, I looked...

 [ I found it, Jan, in 971106 MMDigest!  -- Robbie ]

 Date Thu, 06 Nov 1997 095211 +0100
 Subject: What's a hurdy-gurdy?

The explanation given by Craig Brougher seems to be quite correct.
M. Preatorius (in 1619) called the hurdy-gurdy a "Bawren um
umblauffenden Weiber Leyre"; this is Medieval German, which can
be translated as "Lyre of Farmers and Frivolous Women".  After all,
"ein umlauffendes Weib" is a tramp, walking the street.  Nowadays
viewed as sinners, but in medieval times at least tolerated, if not
accepted as normal.

The famous red-light district in any harbour has a function, remember.
After sailing for six months or so, there was a certain need for,
let's say, a kind of social activity, and the sailors had money in
the pocket.  The mayors tolerated (and still do) a certain amount of
"lyre-ladies", but they concentrate it in a small area to keep things
under control.

A "hurdy" is, if Preatorius and Craig's dictionary are correct, another
word for "tramp" or "whore".  "Whore" is translated in Dutch "Hoer",
but in German it is "Hure", in which "hurdy" can be recognized as a
diminutive form of "Hur", I guess.  I do not possess an English etymo-
logic dictionary.  I do have, however, a brother-in-law who happens to
be an English translator, and I'll ask him to check this.  Will let you
know soonest.

Bye,
Jan Kijlstra

 [ In the small print of my old 7 kg dictionary:
 [   hurdies (noun plural): the buttocks; rump; hips. (Scots & Irish)
 [   hurdom: whoredom (obsolete variant of)
 [ -- Robbie