Did you ever hear the word jalousie before? The word refers to a type of blind that has horizontal slats that allow light and air but not direct sun or rain. The etymology of the word comes from jealous. The word came from one of the main purposes of window treatment blocking view of neighbours. The word Jealous is originally french and borrowed by the English 300 years ago. One of the earliest known use of the of word is in 1766 “Rows of Seats with Jalousies in Front that [the women] may not be seen.”
As the proverb in Robert Frost’s poem exclaims Good fences make good neighbors. Private lives and private possessions is cherished in any happy society. The classic American home is portrayed with much separation from the neighbors view. It’s easily understood how an early American would write that line in 1914.
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