Komt de bosbouwkundige betekenis van rabat uit Nederland of Duitsland?

Abstract

Did the use of the word ‘rabat’ in forestry originate in the Netherlands or Germany? ‘Rabatten’ are common historical relics in Dutch forests. These earth banks with ditches in between for drainage were used to grow trees in wet areas. In the recently published article Wat betekent ‘rabat’ en sinds wanneer leggen we bossen op rabatten? (What does ‘rabat’ mean and since when do we use ‘rabatten’ in forestry?)Mulder & Toorians (2021) provide an explanation for the origin of the word ‘rabat’ and its use in forestry. This originally French term has been used in Dutch garden architecture since the 17th century to indicate the outer planting beds in gardens. According to the authors the word ‘rabat’ subsequently was used in Dutch forestry. They conclude that the forestry meaning of ‘rabat’ is typically Dutch. However, a closer look at the historical German forestry literature seems to contradict this conclusion.