Why is the "trunk" on British cars call a "boot"?

I don't know why they call it a boot. But I do know that for cars alone the British have at least 71 diffrent names for parts of the car. Including calling hubcaps "nave plates". I will look around some more and try to find out. This topic facinates me because I am very intrested in the language diffrences bewtween Americian and British.

Well, it's a hard one. I'm British and I don't even know. My American colleagues (sorry, co-workers), were very dissapointed.

Boot is probably a derivitive of the
large metal and wooden box (of the same name) much beloved of Edwardian travellers.

I don't know why the boot is the boot. equally however I don't know why Americans call it the trunk?! I'm sure someone out there must know.

I have only theories, I dont know , and I am a Brit too.
1.It may have something to do with the french word for box which is 'boite'.
2. My Oxford book of word origins says that a boot is the space for attendants on the outside of a coach, a receptacle for luggage on a coach, then it says 'mod F' (modified from French), which looks like 1(above) might be close to it.
Geek , it fascinates me too, maybe we can consult occasionally?

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HONK -if your keyboard has a horn

Geek where did you get 'nave plates' from? I am a Brit and have lived in Britain all my life and this is the first time that I have heard that term. Hub caps are hub caps as far as I have ever heard, these days perhaps people might call them wheel-trims - never nave plates.

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From over the pond....

Hmmm.. That is strange, I havent a clue about when and how the name is used. I just found "nave plates" on a British-English, American-English website.

And why is the hood called a 'bonnet'?

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Gunslinger
'Flying itself is not inherently dangerous, but it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.'

[This message has been edited by Gunslinger (edited 08-21-2000).]

Well, a hood and a bonnet are almost the same thing. It's just that a hood attaches to your shirt and a bonnet dosen't.

Very profound, Geek. When I get to my car this morning, I'll see if I can find the hood attachments for my shirt. If there are none, shall I presume it's actually a 'bonnet'?

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Gunslinger
'Flying itself is not inherently dangerous, but it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.'