Hi, Anton!  Recently you wrote in a message to Alan Ianson:

AI>  A root cellar is a place to "keep" food stuffs.

AS>  Probabaly so called because trees above would shoot 
AS>  their roots through the cellar walls...


          Hmm... I didn't see a smiley there.  Seriously, what I think of as a "root cellar" is akin to what you may have noticed in tales like THE WIZARD OF OZ where it doubles as a storm shelter.  The state of Kansas is roughly on the same longitude as a city Canadians refer to as "Winterpeg" because it tends to get quite cold in winter... i.e. like Moscow, or so I understand, and for very similar reasons.  In such locations North Americans found they could keep food chilled... but not too cold... below ground level.  I've heard of various ways of doing this & I doubt tree roots would be a concern on the prairies.

          Cf. "wine cellar", often located beneath a house or restaurant.  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+