Names of Animals and Insects Formed by Folk Etymology

Names of Animals and Insects Formed by Folk Etymology Names of Animals and Insects Formed by Folk Etymology Names of Animals and Insects Formed by Folk Etymology By Mark Nichol This post lists words derived from words in other languages as a result of folk etymology, a process by which speakers adopt the foreign terms after revising them by using existing elements from their native language. bumblebee: This word stems from the Middle English word humbul-be, but by association with bombeln, meaning â€Å"boom† or â€Å"buzz,† the initial sound changed. caterpillar: The word for a butterfly or moth larva stems from the Old French word catepelose (â€Å"hairy cat†); the alteration of the third and fourth syllables to -pillar (from Middle English piller, meaning â€Å"plunderer†) may have developed from the notion of its destructive effect on plants. cockroach: This word is derived from the Spanish term cucaracha and employs two words that, when combined, sound similar to the original word. cockatoo: This bird’s name is from the Malay word kakatua by way of the Dutch term kaketoe. crawfish/crayfish: Although these are variations of a name for an aquatic animal, the second syllable in each is not equivalent to the word fish; the entire word, ultimately from a Germanic language, stems from the Anglo-French term creveis by way of the Middle English word crevis and is related to crab (and perhaps to carve). geoduck: This name for a Pacific Northwest clam, which comes from a local Native American term, has nothing to do with ducks- or with the Latin prefix geo-, meaning â€Å"earth†; also, the spelling of the first two syllables is inexplicable, since they are pronounced like gooey. greyhound: The first syllable of this word does not refer to the dogs color; it is from the Old English term grieg, referring to a female dog. lapwing: This word for a species of bird started out as the Old English term hlÄ“apewince (â€Å"leap wink†), inspired by the bird’s flapping mode of flight. mandrill: This word for a type of baboon derived from attempts of English speakers to pronounce the name of the animal in an African language. mongoose: The animal’s name stems from mamgusa in Prakrit, an Indic language. (It has nothing to do with geese, so the plural is mongooses.) muskrat: This animal is a rodent, but its name is not derived from its scent or its kinship with rats; the word from which it derives is of Algonquian origin. peacock/peahen/peafowl: The first syllable of these words comes from pavo, the Latin (and Spanish) name for it. Peafowl is redundant, while peacock and peahen denote the male and female of the species. polecat: The first syllable of this name for a mammal in the weasel family (also an alternative name for the polecat’s relative, the skunk) is derived from the French term poul (the base of poultry), from its barnyard depredations. popinjay: This older term for a parrot, now exclusively applied to an arrogant person, is ultimately from the Arabic word babghÄ . quahog: This word for a type of clam stems from poquauhock, from the Narragansett language, and has no relation to pork. sockeye: The name for a type of salmon does not refer to its eyes; it originates from an attempt to pronounce a Native American word for the fish. wheatear: This thrush was originally called a wheatears; that name is a euphemism for â€Å"white arse,† a reference to its light-colored rump. white rhinoceros: White, in the name of this animal, is not a reference to its color; it stems from the Afrikaans adjective weit, meaning â€Å"wide,† a description that distinguishes its wide upper lip from the pointed lip of the black rhinoceros. woodchuck: This alternative name for the groundhog derives from the assignment of two English words whose sounds resemble those of a Cree word. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesAmong vs. AmongstComma Before Too?

Seed Tree and Shelterwood Harvesting Methods

Seed Tree and Shelterwood Harvesting Methods Even-aged Harvesting Methods Many tree species do not tolerate major shade during the early stages of development. These stages include early seedling germination, development and sapling growth stable enough to compete in mid-canopy.  These tree species have to have some light for regenerating and ensuring future even-aged stands for that species. Most of these timber types are mostly coniferous with a few exceptions. Commercially valuable trees that need light to naturally regenerate a new stand of the same species makes up a major part of even-aged harvesting schemes by foresters. The reproductive management of these trees in North America includes jack pine, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, slash pine. Notable intolerant hardwood species include many valuable commercial oaks plus yellow-poplar and sweetgum. Several reforestation systems and harvesting methods can be used to create even-aged stands.   While specific treatments vary across the U.S. by tree species and climate, the basic systems are clearcutting, seed tree and shelterwood. Shelterwood Even-aged stands must regenerate beneath the shade provided by mature trees left from the previous stand.   It is a major harvest scheme used in all regions of the United States. This includes regenerating loblolly pine in the South, Eastern white pine in the Northeast and ponderosa pine in the West. Preparing a typical shelterwood condition could include three possible types of cuttings: 1) a preliminary cut might be made to select high yielding trees to leave for seed production; 2) an establishment cut can be made that prepares a bare soil seed-bed  as well as trees that provide seed just before seed fall; and/or 3) a removal cut of overstory seed trees that have established seedlings and saplings but would be in competition if left to grow.   So, a shelterwood harvest would be done to leave seed-producing trees uniformly throughout the stand, in groups, or strips and, depending on seed  crop and species, can have between 40 and 100 crop trees.   As with seed tree harvests,  shelterwoods  are sometimes interplanted to supplement natural seeding.   Red and white oak, the southern pines, white  pine,  and sugar maple are examples of tree species that may be regenerated using the shelterwood harvesting method. Here are specific shelterwood terms that further explain this harvesting method: Shelterwood Cut - Removing trees on the  harvest  area in a series of two or more cuttings so new seedlings can grow from the seed of older trees. This method produces an even-aged forest. Shelterwood Logging  - Method of harvesting timber so that selected trees remain scattered throughout the tract to provide seeds for regeneration and shelter for seedlings. Shelterwood System  - An even-aged  silvicultural scheme in which a new stand is established under the protection of a partial canopy of trees. The mature stand is generally removed in a series of two or more cuts, the last leaving a new even-aged stand that is well developed. Seed Tree The seed tree reforestation method leaves healthy, mature trees with a good cone crop (usually 6 to 15 per acre) in the existing stand to provide seed for regenerating a new stand of trees.   Seed trees are typically removed after regeneration is established, especially when seedling levels are significant enough to  stand some logging losses. It is not unusual for a forest manager to  leave the seed trees for wildlife or aesthetics objectives. However, the primary objective of a seed tree regeneration harvest is to provide a natural seed source. Artificial planting of nursery seedlings may be used to supplement areas where natural seeding was not adequate.   White pine, the southern pines and several species of oak may be regenerated using the seed tree harvesting method. Clearcutting Removing in a single cutting all of the overstory trees in a stand to develop a new stand in a shade-free environment is called a clear or clean cut harvest. Depending on species and topography, reforestation can occur  by natural seeding, direct seeding, planting, or sprouting. See my feature on clearcutting: The Debate Over Clearcutting Each individual clearcut area is a unit in which regeneration, growth, and yield are monitored and managed specifically for wood production. That does not mean that all trees will be cut. Certain trees or groups of trees may be left for wildlife, and buffer strips are maintained to protect streams, wetlands, and special areas. Common tree species regenerated using clearcutting include the southern pines, Douglas-fir, red and white oak, jack pine, white birch, aspen, and yellow-poplar.