Indeed, when you think about it, nursery rhymes are an old tradtion, an oral tradition, that have been passed down from parent to child for the past few hundred years. All it takes is a few generations of parents not repeating rhymes to children, and they are lost.

And what will replace them?

I cannot think of any new nursery rhymes that have entered the English language, and become as well-known as the standard rhymes, although I suspect television jingles may be the nursery rhymes of future generations.

British researchers Iona and Peter Opie have devoted much of their life to collecting and researching the origins, meanings and variations of nursery rhymes. The latest edition of their work - The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes - is a fascinating history of these traditional verses.

According to the authors, the term 'nursery rhyme' is an English one, becoming popular in the 18th century, while in America the verses are known as Mother Goose songs, the original name for the rhymes.

Nursery rhymes were for the most part not composed specifically for children, but were snatches of song, verse and phrase that became popular out of their original context.

One of the more intersting facts that researchers have found regarding the origin of nursery rhymes, is that often similar rhymes have been discovered in different countries across Europe simultaneously. For instance while children in England were told about Humpty Dumpty, children in Saxony were listening to a rhyme about Humpelkin-Pumpelkin, and children in Denmark knew about Lille Trille, with similar rhymes in Sweden, France and Switzerland.

There has been some rivalry between America and Britain over which nursery rhymes originated in which country, with America claiming ownership of such standards as Mother Hubbard and Twinkle Twinkle. Unfortunately according to the authors, America can only lay claim to The Little Girl With the Curl and Mary had a Little Lamb, with the rest of the panoply being firmly British.

Perhaps the most interesting portion of The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes relates to the origins of the rhymes. The Opies have listed every rhyme and song imaginable, with the probable meaning and purpose of the rhyme, along with later versions.

It is intriguing to discover the real purpose behind a piece of doggerel that has been sung and read over the centuries, until its original meaning has been lost.

For instance, the song Bobby Shafto was used in the British Parliamentary election of 1761, to encourage the election of Robert Shafto to office. It is hard to imagine today's election slogans having the same longevity somehow.

The famous chant Georgie Porgie has been suspected of referring either to George I or Charles II, both monarchs being extremely fond of the ladies of the court.

However, the most intriguing origin of a nursery rhyme may be that of Jack Horner Who Sat in a Corner. Legend has it that this rhyme refers to the Abbot of Glastonbury who sent a Christmas pie to Henry VIII at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries. Hidden in the pie as a bribe were deeds to 12 manors. On the way the Abbot's steward, one Jack Horner opened the pie and mysteriously acquired the deeds to the Manor of Mells, and presumably Henry only received 11 title deeds.

It would be a shame indeed if all these fabulous nursery rhymes were lost to future generations through a lack of repetition from parent to child.

If you have found yourself unfamiliar with one of the nursery rhymes mentioned, perhaps a short stroll through one of the many Mother Goose compilations held in the library collection can ensure this valuable oral tradition is kept alive in your family.