A small wooden barrel or container, usually holding one-quarter of a larger barrel's capacity; historically used for butter, soap, or beer.
From Middle English 'firkin,' borrowed from Middle Dutch 'vierkijn' meaning 'small vessel,' derived from 'vier' (four). Originally referred to a container holding one-fourth of a larger unit's volume.
Firkins are why medieval commerce worked—before standard measurements, goods were priced by the firkin, barrel, or hogshead, and the word reveals that Dutch merchants heavily influenced English trade vocabulary, especially for containers and quantities.
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