Words you never knew were inspired by animals

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!

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

Butcher

“Butcher” goes back to the Anglo-Norman bocher to the Old French bochier, which was formed off the word boc, meaning “goat.”

Cynic

“Cynic” comes from the Greek cynikos, meaning “dog-like” or “churlish.”

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.

Vixen

“Vixen” is the feminine form of fox.

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.

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.

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.

Easel

“Easel” is another donkey word, derived from the Dutch word for donkey, ezel.

Dandelion

“Dandelion” comes from the French dent-de-lion, meaning “lion’s tooth,” a reference to the plant’s jagged or tooth-like leaves.

Sniper

Dating back to the early 19th century, a “sniper” was originally someone who literally shot snipes.

Source: Words you never knew were inspired by animals (msn.com)