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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Bawl
- The word "bawl" comes from the sound that a dog makes. In Latin, the word originated from the verb baulare, "to bark like a dog."
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Pedigree
- "Pedigree" comes from the Anglo-Norman pé de grue, meaning "foot of the crane." The word refers to the lines on genealogical charts, which look like crane footprints.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Cavalier
- The word "cavalier" comes from the Spanish cavallero, meaning "horse-rider," which in turn comes from cavallo, meaning "horse." Another related word is "chivalrous."
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Canopy
- In ancient Greece, a kanopeion, from the Greek word for mosquito, konops, was a chair or couch fitted with a mosquito net over it. As time went on, the name came to apply only to the net rather than the chair.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Butcher
- "Butcher" goes back to the Anglo-Norman bocher to the Old French bochier, which was formed off the word boc, meaning "goat."
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
Cynic
- "Cynic" comes from the Greek cynikos, meaning "dog-like" or "churlish."
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Hobby
- "Hobby" was an old term that people in England used to give cart-horses. It became a general word for a nice little pony, and then for a toy horse.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Vixen
- "Vixen" is the feminine form of fox.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Harpoon
- "Harpoon" comes from the French harpon, a cramp iron for holding stones together, which came from harpe, the word for a dog's claw.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Formication
- "Formication" is the medical name for a creeping, tingling sensation felt on the skin, which takes its name from the Latin word for "ant," formica.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Arctic
- The Arctic takes its name from the Greek word for bear, arktos. However, the bear in question isn't a polar bear but the Great Bear, or Ursa Major, a constellation in the northern sky.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Easel
- "Easel" is another donkey word, derived from the Dutch word for donkey, ezel.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Dandelion
- "Dandelion" comes from the French dent-de-lion, meaning "lion's tooth," a reference to the plant's jagged or tooth-like leaves.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
Sniper
- Dating back to the early 19th century, a "sniper" was originally someone who literally shot snipes.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Caprice
- "Caprice" is another goat-related word, which is believed to go back to the Italian capro, meaning goat, known for their whimsical skipping about.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Tyke
- Used today to describe a small, mischievous child, "tyke" comes from Old Norse tík, a word for a female dog.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Aviation
- Aviation comes from the Latin word for bird, avis. It was coined in the 19th century, when humans were trying to figure out how to do that thing that birds do so well!
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Hackneyed
- "Hackneyed" comes from the Old French haquenée, a gentle sort of horse considered especially suitable for ladies to ride.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Bellwether
- Used today to describe a leader or trendsetter, in the Middle Ages a "bellwether" was originally the lead animal in a flock of sheep.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Pavilion
- "Pavilion" comes from the Latin word for butterfly, papilio. Pavilions were originally large tents, with durable fabric that unfurled like butterfly wings.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Exocet
- An exocet is a type of marine missile developed by the French Navy in the late '60s. Its name is the French word for a flying fish.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Harum-Scarum
- Meaning "reckless" or "disorganized," some linguists argue that the term comes from an old dialect corruption of "hare" and "scare," probably in reference to a hunter's dogs scaring rabbits and hares.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
Henchman
- The "hench" in henchman comes from hengest, an Old English word for a horse. The term was originally used to describe a knight or servant who would accompany a nobleman on horseback.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Burrito
- "Burrito" comes from the Spanish term for little burro, or little donkey.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Tragedy
- "Tragedy" derives from the Greek word tragoedia, literally meaning "goat song." One theory claims it comes from actors in ancient Greece dressing up as legendary animals (like goat-legged satyrs) in performances of dramas and tragedies.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Vaccine
- "Vaccine" comes from vacca, the Latin word for cow. The first vaccines were made from cowpox lesions, known as variola vaccinae, which were found to produce immunity from smallpox.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Dauphin
- The title once held by the eldest son of the king of France, "dauphin" is actually the French word for dolphin.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Sturdy
- The word is believed to derive from the Latin turdus, the dull brown and speckled songbirds we now call thrushes.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Treacle
- "Treacle" was employed in the 14th century as a word for a medicine or antidote used to treat snakebites. In this context, it comes from therion, an ancient Greek word for wild animals. Sources: (Mental Floss) (Dictionary.com) See also: https://www.starsinsider.com/lifestyle/536121/how-best-to-feed-backyard-birds
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Bawl
- The word "bawl" comes from the sound that a dog makes. In Latin, the word originated from the verb baulare, "to bark like a dog."
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Pedigree
- "Pedigree" comes from the Anglo-Norman pé de grue, meaning "foot of the crane." The word refers to the lines on genealogical charts, which look like crane footprints.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Cavalier
- The word "cavalier" comes from the Spanish cavallero, meaning "horse-rider," which in turn comes from cavallo, meaning "horse." Another related word is "chivalrous."
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Canopy
- In ancient Greece, a kanopeion, from the Greek word for mosquito, konops, was a chair or couch fitted with a mosquito net over it. As time went on, the name came to apply only to the net rather than the chair.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Butcher
- "Butcher" goes back to the Anglo-Norman bocher to the Old French bochier, which was formed off the word boc, meaning "goat."
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
Cynic
- "Cynic" comes from the Greek cynikos, meaning "dog-like" or "churlish."
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Hobby
- "Hobby" was an old term that people in England used to give cart-horses. It became a general word for a nice little pony, and then for a toy horse.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Vixen
- "Vixen" is the feminine form of fox.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Harpoon
- "Harpoon" comes from the French harpon, a cramp iron for holding stones together, which came from harpe, the word for a dog's claw.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Formication
- "Formication" is the medical name for a creeping, tingling sensation felt on the skin, which takes its name from the Latin word for "ant," formica.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Arctic
- The Arctic takes its name from the Greek word for bear, arktos. However, the bear in question isn't a polar bear but the Great Bear, or Ursa Major, a constellation in the northern sky.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Easel
- "Easel" is another donkey word, derived from the Dutch word for donkey, ezel.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Dandelion
- "Dandelion" comes from the French dent-de-lion, meaning "lion's tooth," a reference to the plant's jagged or tooth-like leaves.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
Sniper
- Dating back to the early 19th century, a "sniper" was originally someone who literally shot snipes.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Caprice
- "Caprice" is another goat-related word, which is believed to go back to the Italian capro, meaning goat, known for their whimsical skipping about.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Tyke
- Used today to describe a small, mischievous child, "tyke" comes from Old Norse tík, a word for a female dog.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Aviation
- Aviation comes from the Latin word for bird, avis. It was coined in the 19th century, when humans were trying to figure out how to do that thing that birds do so well!
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Hackneyed
- "Hackneyed" comes from the Old French haquenée, a gentle sort of horse considered especially suitable for ladies to ride.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Bellwether
- Used today to describe a leader or trendsetter, in the Middle Ages a "bellwether" was originally the lead animal in a flock of sheep.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Pavilion
- "Pavilion" comes from the Latin word for butterfly, papilio. Pavilions were originally large tents, with durable fabric that unfurled like butterfly wings.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Exocet
- An exocet is a type of marine missile developed by the French Navy in the late '60s. Its name is the French word for a flying fish.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Harum-Scarum
- Meaning "reckless" or "disorganized," some linguists argue that the term comes from an old dialect corruption of "hare" and "scare," probably in reference to a hunter's dogs scaring rabbits and hares.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
Henchman
- The "hench" in henchman comes from hengest, an Old English word for a horse. The term was originally used to describe a knight or servant who would accompany a nobleman on horseback.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Burrito
- "Burrito" comes from the Spanish term for little burro, or little donkey.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Tragedy
- "Tragedy" derives from the Greek word tragoedia, literally meaning "goat song." One theory claims it comes from actors in ancient Greece dressing up as legendary animals (like goat-legged satyrs) in performances of dramas and tragedies.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Vaccine
- "Vaccine" comes from vacca, the Latin word for cow. The first vaccines were made from cowpox lesions, known as variola vaccinae, which were found to produce immunity from smallpox.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Dauphin
- The title once held by the eldest son of the king of France, "dauphin" is actually the French word for dolphin.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Sturdy
- The word is believed to derive from the Latin turdus, the dull brown and speckled songbirds we now call thrushes.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Treacle
- "Treacle" was employed in the 14th century as a word for a medicine or antidote used to treat snakebites. In this context, it comes from therion, an ancient Greek word for wild animals. Sources: (Mental Floss) (Dictionary.com) See also: https://www.starsinsider.com/lifestyle/536121/how-best-to-feed-backyard-birds
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
Words you never knew were inspired by animals
From "aviation" to "vaccine," animals are part of the etymology of many words
© Shutterstock
What do the words "aviation" and "vaccine" have in common? Well, they're both descended from the names of different types of animals. From bears and birds, to dolphins and cows, animals have been the origin of a few unexpected words. Indeed, due to their importance to the lives and livelihoods of humans, it's no wonder animals have left a mark on language!
Curious? Check out this gallery for words that were etymologically inspired by animals.
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