In the Digest of 20 Feb 2004 both Mark Kinsler and Nicholas Simons
wrote about the name 'deal" for a type of timber.  What's called
"deal" is also called many other names.  The botanical name is Pinus
sylvestris. The botanical family is Pinaceae.

There are many (local) names in European languages.  Examples:

Germany: Kiefer, Foehre, Forle, Forche.

Finland: maenty.

Netherlands: Archangel grenen (northern Russia), Duits grenen
(Germany), Fins grenen (Finland), Inlands grenen (Holland), Noors
grenen (Norway), Pools grenen (Poland), Zweeds grenen (Sweden),
as well as pijnboom (pine tree), grove den, mastboom.

France: pin sylvestre, pin rouge.

Great Britain: Scots pine, redwood, European redwood, Swedish redwood,
an so on (like the Dutch), red deal (sic!).  Also, but not quite
correct: Scots fir, Norway fir.

Italy: pino silvestre, dasa, dausol, teun, pino salvatico.

Russia: cocna.

Sweden: (incorrect) furu.

Pinus Sylvestris L., is very, very common all over the northern part
of Europe and in the mountain regions of countries like France, Spain,
Italy and so on, as well as in the northern regions of Asia.

Because climatic circumstances have great influence on the
quality of the wood (in colder regions a tree grows slower, thus
producing better timber), the name of the region of origin therefore
often is part of the name that is used in the timber trade.

The better qualities are used for many constructional purposes: floors,
windows, doors, fences, and so on.  A lot is harvested for the production
of paper.  However, countries like Finland and Sweden, who produce huge
quantities of wood for the paper industry, replant 110 % of what they
cut down.  This is regulated by law.

There is a lot to tell about this so widely used timber.  One short
story: In mines it was always used for supporting the ceilings of the
corridors.  Especially this timber was used, because when it came under
too much pressure (because of the ceiling was tending to come down), it
produced cracking sounds before breaking.  So the mine workers, hearing
those sounds, had time to get away from that dangerous spot.

Jan Kijlstra

 [ My 7 kg dictionary of 1927 says that "deal" probably comes from the
 [ Dutch word "deel", a plank or a threshing floor.  The related old
 [ English "thill" is (a) the floor of a coal mine, or (b) a thin
 [ stratum of fire clay.  -- Robbie