What The Names of Animals Mean

  Рет қаралды 107,291

Fire of Learning

Fire of Learning

9 ай бұрын

Sometimes, the names of animals have more to them than meets the eye. In this video, we explore the best examples of that.
Find us here too!
Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fireoflearning
Lucinox - Our Science Channel: / @lucinoxofficial
The following music performed by Kevin Macleod Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
Download available at incompetech.com
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 [orig. by JS Bach]
Sources:
[1] www.etymonline.com/
[2] www.merriam-webster.com/
[3] en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktio...
Picture Attributions:
By Cody Pope - Wikipedia:User:Cody.pope, CC BY-SA 2.5, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By kallerna - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By ArchaiOptix - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By Irhanz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By Theo Kruse Burgers' Zoo - Aardvarken - Burgers' Zoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By BazzaDaRambler - Oxford University Museum of Natural History ... dodo - dead apparently.Uploaded by FunkMonk, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By Bardo Museum - www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Classi..., CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By Sailko - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By Cephas - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By James St. John - Balaenoptera musculus (blue whale) 3, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

Пікірлер: 594
@shellsnbees
@shellsnbees 9 ай бұрын
He scratches with the hands, perfection.
@petermartorana9938
@petermartorana9938 9 ай бұрын
i thought of the cotton candy video when he said that
@randymack2222
@randymack2222 9 ай бұрын
"Trash Panda"
@dsxa918
@dsxa918 9 ай бұрын
Trash didn't exist, as we understand it, when scratchy-hands was named.
@dsxa918
@dsxa918 9 ай бұрын
Also, panda is another bear, so far as the culture'd have concerned themselves
@EchoLog
@EchoLog 9 ай бұрын
Raccoon and skunk are excellent examples of why derivational morphology is so wonderful. Scratch cats and piss puppies. I'm in tears.
@DoloresLehmann
@DoloresLehmann 9 ай бұрын
The Spanish word for platypus is "ornitorrinco", which is derived from Greek, meaning "bird-like beak".
@noodleyoshida9190
@noodleyoshida9190 9 ай бұрын
In portuguese to
@acidrien
@acidrien 9 ай бұрын
French too: ornithorynque
@alessandrobaglioni6846
@alessandrobaglioni6846 2 ай бұрын
Sane in Italian, "ornitorinco"
@Guitcad1
@Guitcad1 9 ай бұрын
"Penguin" was originally used to refer to the extinct group of flightless sea birds known as auks. It was applied to the birds we are familiar with now when they were first encountered by Europeans because to them they resembled auks, although the two groups are not related other than being birds.
@WNH3
@WNH3 9 ай бұрын
I also heard that "white head" might refer to the promontories they inhabited, rather than to a corporeal feature.
@darksouls_guy1656
@darksouls_guy1656 9 ай бұрын
only great auks are extinct, most other auks are still living
@Fireoflearning
@Fireoflearning 9 ай бұрын
Thank you for this
@kaloarepo288
@kaloarepo288 9 ай бұрын
I thought "penguin" came from Latin aves pinguis meaning fat bird!
@ronhall9394
@ronhall9394 9 ай бұрын
Not many Penguins in Wales, and given that Welsh was at it's height well before the age of discovery, I think that's really grasping at semantic straws.
@daledrinnon7307
@daledrinnon7307 9 ай бұрын
I found out that the IndoEuropean original name for "bee" was *wobzha (obviously also means wasp) and I had a stoke of inspiration that the original form might well have been "buzz-buzz"
@gunjfur8633
@gunjfur8633 9 ай бұрын
Bee comen from PIE *bʰey- "bee" Wasp comes from PIE *wobʰseh₂ "wasp", from *webʰ- "weave" (referring to the insect's woven nests)
@quinnhicks4355
@quinnhicks4355 9 ай бұрын
The word for spider is derived from the Proto-Germanic: spin-þron which means ‘spinner’ (a reference to how spiders make their webs), from the Proto-Indo-European root word: (s)pen, which means ‘to draw, stretch, spin’
@chrislyons5556
@chrislyons5556 9 ай бұрын
honestly i like the interpretation of narwhal as "corpse whale". sounds more mysterious, eerie and atmosperic. adds a layer of mystery
@OddWoz
@OddWoz 9 ай бұрын
The similarities between the Native American names and languages compared to those from the old world never ceases to fascinate and amaze me.
@seanrowshandel1680
@seanrowshandel1680 9 ай бұрын
Camo people
@SiqueScarface
@SiqueScarface 9 ай бұрын
In many cases, this is true only for the English language. Raccoons for instance are "Waschbären" (washing bears) in German, and the opossum is called "Beutelratte" (pouch rat), because it is a marsupial which carries its offspring in a pouch. On the other hand, it makes sense to use the words the native people have for the creatures in their environment instead of inventing new ones. And yes, German still calls some dolphinlike animals (porpoises to be specific) Schweinswale (pig whales).
@seanrowshandel1680
@seanrowshandel1680 9 ай бұрын
@@SiqueScarface not to waste time making generalizations, but it seems like this is because England is an island closer to Greenland than mainland Europe is to Greenland (and Greenland is kind of like a Native American island)
@SiqueScarface
@SiqueScarface 9 ай бұрын
@@seanrowshandel1680 I think you are on the wrong path here. In Germany, there have always been attempts to find German words for terms where only a word in a foreign language or a loanword exists. One famous person in this effort was a guy named Philipp von Zesen, who in the 17th century went out and invented new German words for things like address, project or passion (Anschrift, Entwurf, Leidenschaft). He was not the only one, but one of the most influential. Similar efforts don't exist in the anglophone world, where loanwords are happily accepted, or as James D. Nicoll once observed: "We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
@seanrowshandel1680
@seanrowshandel1680 9 ай бұрын
@@SiqueScarface that's exactly the same point that I'm making. Is there any doubt as to whether if countries east of England understood what countries west of England have always been & are still doing, they would nuke them? Yes of course: French, and less famously, Persian, are languages which are "managed" "centrally" like that by a government agency, which creates words in order to "uphold the culture" (as if loanwords were what was crushing the people)
@higginswalsan
@higginswalsan 9 ай бұрын
Walrus-They were used as walls in Russia Owl-When named it was thought that we had now discovered “Owl” (old way to spell all) of the birds Dolphin-Thought to look like a doll with fins
@vitriolicAmaranth
@vitriolicAmaranth 9 ай бұрын
That's crazy cus owls aren't even birds.
@__prometheus__
@__prometheus__ 9 ай бұрын
@@vitriolicAmaranththis has to be bait
@youtubestudiosucks978
@youtubestudiosucks978 9 ай бұрын
​@@vitriolicAmaranth you're a bird. Go fly
@martletkay
@martletkay 9 ай бұрын
@@vitriolicAmaranth Please tell me this is a joke
@vitriolicAmaranth
@vitriolicAmaranth 9 ай бұрын
@@martletkay It is an obscure internet meme from 12 years ago. So yes, it's a joke.
@1337fraggzb00N
@1337fraggzb00N 9 ай бұрын
In German, Platypus is called "Schnabeltier" which can be translated as "Bill Animal". Because it has a bill... and it is an animal.
@Arskanbooki
@Arskanbooki 9 ай бұрын
In Finnish, it is said even more intricately: "vesinokkaeläin" or "water bill animal".
@VicariousReality7
@VicariousReality7 5 ай бұрын
But snabel means elefant trunk in sweden..... not bird bills, why is this
@user-fz1ic8ze6i
@user-fz1ic8ze6i 9 ай бұрын
Could you please make a video about animal's babies names? Like kitten, gosling, cygnet, lamb, etc.
@Sl33pwalkeruwu
@Sl33pwalkeruwu 9 ай бұрын
Thumbnail looking like a Skyrim puzzle
@azarishere6442
@azarishere6442 9 ай бұрын
lmfao true
@skilled_landon2178
@skilled_landon2178 9 ай бұрын
lol
@Dontdrinklean6
@Dontdrinklean6 9 ай бұрын
It do ngl
@jaschabull2365
@jaschabull2365 9 ай бұрын
I've heard butterflies might actually be named for their buttery poop, hence their Dutch name being boterschijte, which literally means "butter-pooper". Though that might also be the origin of the butter-stealing myth as well. Also, dolphins may not be called merepigs now, but there are still some cetaceans named after pigs, namely the porpoise, whose name is derived from the Latin "porcopiscis", literally "pig fish".
@Franco-ow9ci
@Franco-ow9ci 9 ай бұрын
boterschijte? kinda like “buttershit” or “buttershitter”😂
@dqvudjqkey-pi3rv
@dqvudjqkey-pi3rv 9 ай бұрын
Vlinder?
@Arskanbooki
@Arskanbooki 9 ай бұрын
In Finland, the porpoise was once called merisika i.e "sea pig".
@fritsdaalmans5589
@fritsdaalmans5589 9 ай бұрын
Which is why in Katwijk, there is a "Dominee Varkevisserstraat".
@Rockypf2
@Rockypf2 9 ай бұрын
I like the origin of Raccoon. "he scratches with the hands". Spanish also adopted the indigenous word, using "mapache" from Nahuatl's "mapatzin". The word roots bieng MA meaning hand, PA meaning wash, and Tzin- a diminutive suffix that expreses smallness or endearment like Spanish "ito". So Mapache means little one who washes their hands, or little hand washer.
@LivingEncyclopedia
@LivingEncyclopedia 9 ай бұрын
Finding out that one of my favorite animals (armadillo) is called a word that means a combination of two of my other favorite animals, just made my whole day! I’m unreasonably happy right now
@jaynorris3722
@jaynorris3722 9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for this, and all your videos. You make learning fun and interesting. Give my best to Peanut. I'm sure he helped you best as he could with all the research.☺
@robert9016
@robert9016 9 ай бұрын
Good to hear Peanut is still doing well
@fritsdaalmans5589
@fritsdaalmans5589 9 ай бұрын
In several European languages it's understandable. english Peanut swedish Jordnöt dutch grondnoot/apennoot/pinda (ok the last one doesn't make sense) german erdnuß but in French!?!? cacahuète(sp?)
@_spacegoat_
@_spacegoat_ 9 ай бұрын
The word for _Raccoon_ in German is _Waschbär,_ which means "wash bear" or "washing bear". I am told this is the case in several languages, the reason being that they wash their food before eating it, and they kind of resemble bears, I guess? Maybe nobody could figure out which animal family they belonged to and just settled on "bear." Anyways. Yeah.
@jaschabull2365
@jaschabull2365 9 ай бұрын
By the looks of it, that's also the case with Icelandic, Japanese and Chinese. In French they're called "raton laveur", same idea, but named after rats instead of bears. Though apparently in Quebec they're called, "chat sauvage" (literally wild cat) instead.
@Exgrmbl
@Exgrmbl 9 ай бұрын
@@jaschabull2365 the term racoon itself means something like he who rubs/cleans in some native american tongue. The only people that don't use a literal term like wash-bear are english speakers, and that only because they use a term which they don't understand
@Uriel4-9-476
@Uriel4-9-476 9 ай бұрын
In my spanish dialect (rioplatense), we usually call ladybugs "Little cow of Saint Anthony". In neutral spanish its called, mostly, "mariquita" (because of Saint Mary).
@LillyP-xs5qe
@LillyP-xs5qe 9 ай бұрын
In Hebrew they are called Moses cows.
@DoloresLehmann
@DoloresLehmann 9 ай бұрын
"Vaquita de San Antonio"! Wow, it's a small world!
@conceptualisingdisapproval
@conceptualisingdisapproval 9 ай бұрын
It is fascinating to see how different languages have such similar sounding words. In my language, Urdu, a cow is called gaa-ay (گائے). Similarly, a bull is called bael (بیل). An owl is called ullu (اُلُّو). And a giraffe is called zaraffa (زرافہ). And also, many animal names have the same meanings as in English. The hippopotamus is called Daryaai Ghora (دریائی گھوڑا) which literally translates to river horse. Porcupines are called Khaar pusht (خار پُشت) which translates to spiny back. Thousands of years of isolation and still these two languages have many things in common due to their ancient Indo-European roots.
@mawlinzebra
@mawlinzebra 7 ай бұрын
And ancient semitic religions like the Canaanites and Sumerians(?) Worshipped a bull god name baal. Might be linked.
@WilhelmFreidrich
@WilhelmFreidrich 6 ай бұрын
I think cows might be offended by that homophobic slur.
@pescavelho6151
@pescavelho6151 9 ай бұрын
8:47 The name of chamaeleons is a Sumerian calque, Sumerians used "lion" as a generic word for any predator, so they called lizards "earth/creeping lions".
@ronmaximilian6953
@ronmaximilian6953 9 ай бұрын
The question is why Elk in North America are called Moose, and why the Watapi is called "Elk" in North America. Also, the America Buffalo his named after the Eurasian Buffalo, but it should be the American bison, named after the Eurasian bison. The English speakers naming American species didn't even know all the species in Europe
@stardust949
@stardust949 8 ай бұрын
"He strips off" for Moose---might also refer to all those bloody shreds of "velvet" that come off so dramatically in their annual antler growth
@OsamasStory
@OsamasStory 9 ай бұрын
8:18 I learned about etymology of giraffe few months ago, glad to see someone else is talking about it because no one really does that.
@jisharagu
@jisharagu 9 ай бұрын
It has a bug and the video gets muted at 08:20...
@CHASEDPIE
@CHASEDPIE 9 ай бұрын
More videos about Capybaras please
@marcusfridh8489
@marcusfridh8489 9 ай бұрын
The capy, is also seen in capoeira, wich means high grass
@boblordylordyhowie
@boblordylordyhowie 9 ай бұрын
Midges is still used in Scotland to describe the tiny mosquito type insect, that have been know to drive people insane. Canada Geese are called Wawa by Canadian native tribes because of the noise they make when flying.
@veleouria
@veleouria 9 ай бұрын
been mourning the loss of my dog and two videos uploaded by you in such a short time is so helpful for me ✨✨
@Fireoflearning
@Fireoflearning 9 ай бұрын
Very sorry for your loss
@geekdivaherself
@geekdivaherself 9 ай бұрын
You have my sincere condolences. I wish you and yours well. 🌼🍀🍃⚱
@hoidoei941
@hoidoei941 9 ай бұрын
I'm sorry to hear that. I’ve already buried a lot of loved ones (including my girlfriend in 2016) but I still miss my cat years later. There’s this one cat on my way to the store that always comes for a little petting and it still can make me on the verge of crying.. I didn’t know human beings were able to love an animal so deeply (as I never had pets before), but nothing lasts forever I guess. Just try to think of the beautiful moments together, in my language we say something like “better to have had it than never at all” One day you’ll be smiling at some funny dog pictures again! And a little tear from time to time isn’t a shame either. I cried out loud like a baby when I lost my cat.. a man in his late thirties 😹 I wish everyone grieving all the best ❤
@worldtraveler930
@worldtraveler930 9 ай бұрын
According to National Geographies the DoDo was originally discovered by a Dutch scientist and it is Commonly called DoDo because the British were incapable of pronouncing it's Dutch name of Doya Adarius!!! 🤠👍
@Leto85
@Leto85 8 ай бұрын
Interesting how in my language we seem to have quite a few animals named after the almost literal translation of the Latin origins. 0:40 River Horse for hippopotamus, which in Dutch is nijlpaard, or Nile Horse when translated back to English. 05:18 Horned Nose for Rhinoceros, is neushoorn in Dutch, or Nose Horn when translated back to English.
@douglasgorde5823
@douglasgorde5823 9 ай бұрын
Pardus, if I’m not mistaken, could also mean spotted or mottled, so the name leopard might mean “spotted lion”
@pennypappas8096
@pennypappas8096 6 ай бұрын
In modern Greek, the adjective παρδαλός (pardalos) means colorful, flashy, or with spots. It derives from pardalis, same as pardos in leopard, but not sure if the ancient Greek word had the meaning of spotted/colorful too or if it's a later development.
@YetiUprising
@YetiUprising 9 ай бұрын
I always wondered why so many birds are "named after their call" when I have yet to ever hear one that sounds anything like it. At best you can see the relation to the call and the number of syllables in the word.
@trixrabbit8792
@trixrabbit8792 9 ай бұрын
You know why you never see crows hit on the road? They always have a buddy up in the trees yelling car. Car. Car.
@THE-X-Force
@THE-X-Force 9 ай бұрын
Just fantastic sense of humor .. delivery & timing. 💋
@Magplar
@Magplar 9 ай бұрын
I LOVE your videos. Also, awesome job on these pronunciations!
@El_Omar2203
@El_Omar2203 9 ай бұрын
In Spanish, guinea pigs have two names, the most generalized one that is "conejillo de Indias" (Little rabbit of the Indies) and the one used mostly in Andean Southamerican countries, which is "cuy" (pronounced coo-ee), from the quichwa "quwi" which is an onomatopeyic etymology of the sounds the little rodents make.
@davionpeguese3115
@davionpeguese3115 9 ай бұрын
Very insightful video. Thank your research and dedication to this particular topic!💯
@Donderu
@Donderu 9 ай бұрын
The audio in the giraffe section 8:18 cuts off before explaining where it comes from
@romansierra5614
@romansierra5614 9 ай бұрын
*Finishes inscribing on ancient parchment with quill and ink well* "Is Blue and Whale." Fascinating.
@fearvo
@fearvo 9 ай бұрын
Each instalment gets better. Good work AGAIN! Very humourous at the end again. 😅
@drattmixer
@drattmixer 9 ай бұрын
Please do more I love this!
@miketheburns
@miketheburns 9 ай бұрын
in modern German, "Meerschwein" is Guinea pig. I always thought it sounded weird, because it means "sea pig" and yet they come from S. America. Actually, even the name "Guinea pig" is odd, because it has nothing to do with Equatorial Guinea or Papua New Guinea.
@markek730
@markek730 8 ай бұрын
I read somewhere long ago that “ButterFLy” was a play on the phrase “FLutter By” which they do.
@shellsnbees
@shellsnbees 9 ай бұрын
I love your videos so much! I watch them a lot especially your Cryptids of America and such! Thank you so much for what you do every time I watch your video I learn so much and I feel so awesome!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@mtcondie
@mtcondie 9 ай бұрын
Very interesting! Thank you!
@JeanneOxley
@JeanneOxley 9 ай бұрын
Imagine how excited Barn Owls were when humans invented barns!
@fumomofumosarum5893
@fumomofumosarum5893 9 ай бұрын
underrated comment
@JeanneOxley
@JeanneOxley 9 ай бұрын
@@fumomofumosarum5893 Your comment about my comment made me do a high five with my cat.
@ethmanolboy6816
@ethmanolboy6816 9 ай бұрын
another good one is "Right Whales", because of how slowly they moved and the fact that they float when killed, whalers would go "awe yeah, thats the right Whale you wanna go for, hey?" and Sperm Whale, because they thought the white, oily/waxy substance in their head, called spermaceti, looking, to whalers atleast, like seman.
@CantoraMask
@CantoraMask 9 ай бұрын
This was a great video, thank you
@visserskarel
@visserskarel 9 ай бұрын
"Pen-guin" from "pen" meaning "head" and "guin" meaning "white", as in the Arthurian tales, where the name of Uther Pen-dragon means Uther "Dragon's head" and the name of Guin-evere means "White Phantom" or "White Faery".
@ronmaximilian6953
@ronmaximilian6953 9 ай бұрын
The Great Auk was named Penguin in Welsh. Southern Penguins are named after the Great Auk, which was hunted to extinction 200 years ago
@anniestumpy9918
@anniestumpy9918 9 ай бұрын
Thanks, I enjoyed this a lot!
@StepBaum
@StepBaum 9 ай бұрын
Cool video, love the funfacts :)
@usernamesrtoostupid
@usernamesrtoostupid 9 ай бұрын
This video is just... so good.
@neva_nyx
@neva_nyx 9 ай бұрын
This was great! ❤
@archeewaters
@archeewaters 9 ай бұрын
:) i so enjoyed this. thank you.
@LillyP-xs5qe
@LillyP-xs5qe 9 ай бұрын
My favourite is the hairy screaming armadillo, for it is a hairy armadillo that screams
@dewetmaartens359
@dewetmaartens359 9 ай бұрын
In Vietnamese Dolphin is also literally translated as sea pig
@doncarlodivargas5497
@doncarlodivargas5497 9 ай бұрын
Small children: call animals from how they sounds Grown ups: call animals from how they sounds
@richardlilley6274
@richardlilley6274 9 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing
@shellyirby9828
@shellyirby9828 9 ай бұрын
Thank you, i enjoyed it!
@reversefulfillment9189
@reversefulfillment9189 9 ай бұрын
I can't wait to use these facts to sound really smart at the next tea party. Thanks!
@Moscoviya2009
@Moscoviya2009 9 ай бұрын
"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? ... I don't know." The way he said it made me lose it. 😂
@MustangWriter
@MustangWriter 9 ай бұрын
'Be sure to enunciate' 😂 I caught that. 😂😂
@68lade
@68lade 9 ай бұрын
I heard years ago that butterflies used to be called flutterbyes in England, I also have the balls to comment before I do an online search....old school.
@ricardobimblesticks1489
@ricardobimblesticks1489 9 ай бұрын
I like the idea that it comes from the Dutch “boterschijte” or butter-shitter on account of the colour of their poop. Ofc this may be just so much poppycock :D
@Fireoflearning
@Fireoflearning 9 ай бұрын
Very popular folk etymology, the Old English is "buterflēoge" though so it can't be
@68lade
@68lade 9 ай бұрын
@@FireoflearningThanks FOL, I will never utter this in the Mead Hall from this day forward.
@caesarmatty
@caesarmatty 9 ай бұрын
The ending cracked me up
@michaelball93
@michaelball93 9 ай бұрын
A guinea pig in German is a 'little sea pig' ('Meerschweinchen') and a capybara is a 'water pig' (Wasserschwein'). Elsewhere, nobody seems to know why most European languages use porcine names for guinea pigs. They're not even from Guinea.
@jaschabull2365
@jaschabull2365 9 ай бұрын
From what I looked up, Guinea may have been a trade centre which the rodents went through before arriving in Europe, either that or the English just used "Guinea" as a general term to describe anything foreign (it seems this sort of thing might also be where the turkey got its name, Turkish traders would often be involved in getting exotic goods to Europe, so putting "turkey" before something was used to generally refer to it as foreign). That is if it's actually named after Guinea at all, it's also apparently posited that "guinea" is a corruption of "coney", another word for rabbit. As for the "pig" part, guinea pigs are known to squeal like pigs. I've never heard if porcupines do as well, it does seem odd that more than one rodent wound up being named after a pig.
@catocall7323
@catocall7323 9 ай бұрын
My favorite theory as to how so many animals get called something pig, is that they were considered pig like to eat. Guinea pig happens to be delicious.
@PauperJ
@PauperJ 9 ай бұрын
Mountain lions and sea lions are the same animal, with just a couple thousand feet elevation difference.
@Michael_De_Santa-Unofficial
@Michael_De_Santa-Unofficial 9 ай бұрын
They have the high ground.
@PauperJ
@PauperJ 9 ай бұрын
Sea lions do have the ability to slip away, though.
@stevendorries
@stevendorries 9 ай бұрын
Bullshit, sea lions are merbears
@sharonkaczorowski8690
@sharonkaczorowski8690 9 ай бұрын
Wonderful video!
@j.c.dittmerii
@j.c.dittmerii 9 ай бұрын
When orangutan actually doesn't come orange
@FQT_Keller-Ash
@FQT_Keller-Ash 9 ай бұрын
I would think moose (moz or monz) would be refering to them shedding the velvet from their antlers, its quite the sight
@myragroenewegen5426
@myragroenewegen5426 8 ай бұрын
ferret ("little theif") is a cool one, because in English you can also speak of "ferreting (something) out" that is, searching out with a lot of effort. Ferrets get things they want to find, clearly.
@Rockypf2
@Rockypf2 9 ай бұрын
"The Bob in bobcat is not short for Robert cat, it means 'short hair'..." My disappointment is immeasurable.
@GustafUNL
@GustafUNL 9 ай бұрын
"Blue Whales are called, 'Blue Whales', because they are blue, and whales." I love language.
@jacob_swaggerz
@jacob_swaggerz 9 ай бұрын
I love etymology. This is some amazing content that I will share. Thanks Justin. Also, butterfly is a corruption of flutterby. They would literally flutter by and, as old English humor went, they swapped the first letters around and it stuck.
@WNH3
@WNH3 9 ай бұрын
A spoonerism, then. I've heard this one, but wonder if there's anything to it.
@DoloresLehmann
@DoloresLehmann 9 ай бұрын
This was a nice theory, but has been debunked. When you look at the name in other languages, the connection with butter, cream or milk is also frequently there.
@jacob_swaggerz
@jacob_swaggerz 9 ай бұрын
Everyone says I'm wrong... but they can't link it to anything substantial...
@DoloresLehmann
@DoloresLehmann 9 ай бұрын
@@jacob_swaggerz What would you consider substantial, then? The ancient English word being "butterfloege", as the video maker himself put somewhere, which shows that it was already composed of "butter" and "fly" before it could have been corrupted from "flutterby"? The fact that so many other languages derive it from dairy products, even if the words don't sound anything like the English one or were formed earlier than the English "butterfly"? What evidence would convince you?
@martletkay
@martletkay 9 ай бұрын
Fun fact, fox pee smells like skunk, so clearly the name of skunks comes from stinky experience
@hiccups55
@hiccups55 9 ай бұрын
Geckos in Filipino is called Tuko. Because they make sound just like that.
@testiculartorsion6047
@testiculartorsion6047 9 ай бұрын
I love you, funny history man
@feralbluee
@feralbluee 9 ай бұрын
just “discovered” your channel and thoroughly enjoyed this vid. your voice is cool and your little asides are more cool. :) i grinned a lot. a lot of this was new to me. i especially was so surprised and very glad to finally learn why goose are geese and moose are moose. (maybe also why deer are deer / and fish are fish). thanks much. i’m subscribing. and have a great day :) 🌷🪻🌱
@Fireoflearning
@Fireoflearning 9 ай бұрын
Thank you! A video on why English's plurals can be unusual is a good idea.
@jurgen6902
@jurgen6902 9 ай бұрын
Yes walrus is seemingly coming from a germanic background - In modern day german it is called "Walross". The Wal (ger) = Whale (eng) and Ross (ger - which is an outdated expession for a Horse) = steed or hoss (but i would guess as a german native speaker that steed fits better). And also the explanation for the Hippo does fit to german as it is called in german "Nilpferd" (literally eng: Nilehorse) or "Flusspferd" (literally english: Riverhorse). Also the ladybug fits to german as it is called "Marienkäfer" (literally english: Mary's bug/beetle).
@hoebertrabeck1621
@hoebertrabeck1621 9 ай бұрын
yep ross is steed. trusty steed = treues ross
@-haclong2366
@-haclong2366 9 ай бұрын
In Dutch we actually say "Lord bug" rather than Lady.
@UnOrigionalOne
@UnOrigionalOne 9 ай бұрын
Dry wit appreciated.
@KenFullman
@KenFullman 9 ай бұрын
At one time the word "deer" was a general term for animals. Once all the other animals got their names, deer were the only ones left that were still referred to as deer. It's similar to how the word "Dutch" (in the English language) used to mean any of the Germanic lands or people. After the other regions were given more specific names, it was just the Dutch that kept the moniker.
@docsavage8640
@docsavage8640 9 ай бұрын
Cool story, bro. Didn't happen.
@KenFullman
@KenFullman 9 ай бұрын
@@docsavage8640You've heard of google right? That's where you can find answers before you just blurt out knee jerk reactions.
@highwaytohelles4561
@highwaytohelles4561 9 ай бұрын
I am a hunter in Germany and we do use traditional words for animals in some cases. "Deer" as in "Red Deer" is called "Rotwild" (meaning red game). If we refer to a female red deer, we call it "Tier" (same word as "deer"), which is the general term for "animal" in German.
@KenFullman
@KenFullman 9 ай бұрын
@@highwaytohelles4561Thank you. That seems to confirm what I understand.
@seanrowshandel1680
@seanrowshandel1680 9 ай бұрын
Im laughing out loud so they just sat all day with koalas until they found out that they don't drink water, and then they named them, "no water"? This means that the scientific community grew up watching koalas in its free time, as if they were getting paid to do it
@MorgorDre
@MorgorDre 8 ай бұрын
I waited for this video all my life
@Constantine909
@Constantine909 8 ай бұрын
Forgive me if you've already done it but I think a fascinating topic for a video would be the history of Hygiene/Bathing. From Rome through the Victorian era it would be interesting to explore the differences between nobility and peasantry and how often they cleaned or changed clothes.
@AnnabelleBeaudoin
@AnnabelleBeaudoin 9 ай бұрын
Great video 👍
@thatotherguy8138
@thatotherguy8138 9 ай бұрын
4:59 : Leo! Highly underrated pets.
@kalaebt2225
@kalaebt2225 9 ай бұрын
“blue whale is blue whale” who says you don’t learn new things every day
@aperinich
@aperinich 8 ай бұрын
Geckos in Australia make kissing noises, and nothing like the sound of their name
@robfriedrich2822
@robfriedrich2822 9 ай бұрын
0:28 In German we say Nilpferd or Flusspferd, literally translated Nile horse or river horse.
@CulturedPotato
@CulturedPotato 9 ай бұрын
Hippopotamus has to be one of my favourites, partly because I'm proud I even know the etymology.
@johnnyvh1188
@johnnyvh1188 9 ай бұрын
Etymology lover here, very interesting to hear how some animals ended up with names they would very much consider offensive.😅 If only we could ask them what they would like to be called... EG: the dutch word for leopard is "luipaard" As if it wasn't bad enough to call them spotted lion(leo pardus), it morphed into "lui"(lazy)-"paard"(horse) in dutch... 🐆Look, a lazy horse!😂
@geekdivaherself
@geekdivaherself 9 ай бұрын
You know about Etymonline, right? Some of the stories on that website are really great!
@wrongfootmcgee
@wrongfootmcgee 9 ай бұрын
"very much consider offensive"? no. just no.. stop looking for ways to be offended stop trying to prove that people suck and are so terrible at everything go enjoy a garden
@lennysmileyface
@lennysmileyface 8 ай бұрын
@@wrongfootmcgee Joke from Latin iocari "to jest, joke," from iocus "joke, sport, pastime."
@bigdkenergypodcast
@bigdkenergypodcast 9 ай бұрын
Also if I'm not mistaken, Moose also strip off the felt on their antlers as well
@paulingvar
@paulingvar 9 ай бұрын
Is is amazing that old greek "platupous" meant flat foot. In Swedish flat is "platt" ( but also "flat")
@jacktribble5253
@jacktribble5253 9 ай бұрын
Chucking wood is the act of manually transferring recently processed wood products from the staging area to the transport vehicle.
@SalvableRuin
@SalvableRuin 9 ай бұрын
Moose meaning "He strips off" more likely refers to the way they strip the skin from their horns every year while shedding their antlers.
@synkkamaan1331
@synkkamaan1331 9 ай бұрын
In Scotland, there are tiny, biting little fly like creatures which they call, midges.
@jessepigram1039
@jessepigram1039 9 ай бұрын
We call them midges in (parts of?) England too
@fritsdaalmans5589
@fritsdaalmans5589 9 ай бұрын
Although campers can also call them "hideous tiny monsters that come like a dark brown cloud out of the lake just as you're cooking dinner"
@NoodleBear
@NoodleBear 9 ай бұрын
"HOO-er. Be sure to enunciate" 🤣🤣🤣
@OutOfPockets
@OutOfPockets 9 ай бұрын
How much boards would the mongols hoard if the mongol hordes got bored? -Calvin
@koosvanzyl2605
@koosvanzyl2605 9 ай бұрын
In Afrikaans the Giraffe is called a "Kameelperd", literally meaning "Camel Horse"
@DoctorAutopsy
@DoctorAutopsy 9 ай бұрын
Geckos are busy animals because they're always running on Tail Time.
@guernica5413
@guernica5413 9 ай бұрын
In portuguese, we call the horse riding sport "Hipismo" instead of the "Equestrianism" used in english.
@synkkamaan1331
@synkkamaan1331 9 ай бұрын
Interesting. English uses a Latin root, Equus. Portuguese uses a Greek root, Hippos.
@Drewgonzord
@Drewgonzord 9 ай бұрын
Thank you Dr. Evil
@Rdlpi
@Rdlpi 8 ай бұрын
I always thought butterflies were called that because when you catch them by the wings the wing scales come off and have a smooth texture like butter in your hands
When the Sahara Was Green
8:35
PBS Eons
Рет қаралды 3,4 МЛН
We Helped Make Mosquitoes A Problem
9:48
PBS Eons
Рет қаралды 696 М.
I PEELED OFF THE CARDBOARD WATERMELON!#asmr
00:56
HAYATAKU はやたく
Рет қаралды 26 МЛН
Зомби Апокалипсис  часть 1 🤯#shorts
00:29
INNA SERG
Рет қаралды 6 МЛН
0% Respect Moments 😥
00:27
LE FOOT EN VIDÉO
Рет қаралды 45 МЛН
Michaelmas - A Holiday We Forgot About | History
20:28
Fire of Learning
Рет қаралды 252 М.
The Invisible Barrier Keeping Two Worlds Apart
9:25
PBS Eons
Рет қаралды 18 МЛН
The Weirdest Language Of All Time Is FINALLY Being Deciphered
22:19
Joe Scott
Рет қаралды 1,3 МЛН
America's Most Common Last Names Explained
13:29
Fire of Learning
Рет қаралды 203 М.
The Unbelievable History of Sunflowers
11:11
Fire of Learning
Рет қаралды 151 М.
Every Time Things Have Evolved Into Turtles
28:13
Ben G Thomas
Рет қаралды 2 МЛН
Why Some of the Rainbow is Missing
12:12
Be Smart
Рет қаралды 1,7 МЛН
England's Most Famous Ghosts & Supernatural Incidents - Documentary
40:27
Fire of Learning
Рет қаралды 179 М.
Lost Worlds: the Forgotten Creatures of Prehistory
2:31:33
Best Documentary
Рет қаралды 10 МЛН
I PEELED OFF THE CARDBOARD WATERMELON!#asmr
00:56
HAYATAKU はやたく
Рет қаралды 26 МЛН