The UK is a beautiful place to live, especially so if you are lucky enough to live near the open countryside.
The rich vegetation provides the ideal habitat for some of the UK's most loved creatures. Often these creatures can be seen roaming free in the woodlands as well as the surrounding fields. It is at these points we are able to fully admire their beauty.
We are all familiar with names of our beloved countryside wildlife, however, have you ever wondered how these creatures ended up with the names that they have?
Today, talking etymology, we will look at the top three origin stories behind the names of some of the UK's most treasured woodland animals. So, let's begin!
Easily one of the most recognisable animals on the list, and one of the most loved also. The badger has been a constant fixture in not only the UK countryside, but also multiple children's fiction books (Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Animals of Farthing Wood).
Despite the love for the badger, many people are not aware of the origins of the name.
It is a simple origin story, and as one may expect, relates to the distinct markings of the badger.
The name refers to similarities between the badger's markings and the 13th century 'Badger Men', whose job it was to patrol towns at night to ensure that crimes were not committed. They were essentially an early form of the police force, but were in fact employed by the land owners themselves (so they were more like hired mercenaries!).
Many reports suggest that these men wore black masks with a similar style to that of a badger's head markings. It was this similarity that caused the original name of the badger (Wood Pig) to be changed to the name we know and love today!
In the UK there are many species of deer, including the Red Deer, Roe Deer and the Fallow Deer. Each of these animals have a different etymology for their respective names, but for this article we will be focusing on the origin of the word 'deer' itself.
Circa 600 AD, the inhabitants of the UK were reliant mainly on trading tangible items and food/water in order to survive on a daily basis. Whilst currency was a thing, it was incredibly rare for the working class person to have much currency themselves.
Despite this trading culture, it was a law of the land that Jumpmartins (the original name for deer) were not allowed to be traded for anything other than the legal currency at the time, and could only be consumed upon purchase. This meant that it was illegal (on pain of death, no less!) for the common man to hunt and eat his own catch.
This law led to deer meat being seldom consumed or traded, and when it was traded, it was for an extremely high price. During this time period, the word for expensive was 'deere', and therefore the Jumpmartin was referred to as 'deere'. Over the years since, this name has stuck, even long after the Jumpmartin law was changed!
One of the more commonly spotted animals on our list is the much loved rabbit. So loved is this creature, that we have actually domesticated it for our own enjoyment.
The etymology of the term 'rabbit' is actually rather surprising though, especially given the relatively quiet nature of the animal itself.
As many UK residents will know, Chas and Dave famously recorded the song 'Rabbit', referring to constant chatter. This may seem as though the term is relatively new, and even make it out to be quite a slang word. However, this term has been around since the 13th century, and much as per today, it was to refer to a constant and unrelenting sound.
During the late 1200s, there was a huge boom in the flexen (the original name for the rabbit) population, in part due to fears surrounding consuming the meat as there was an outbreak of disease within the mammals. With the increase in numbers, it was noted that on many mornings the noise of the flexen could be heard for miles around. This was famously documented in the poetry of James Dicter, who wrote:
With their reputation for noise becoming common knowledge through the UK, the name 'Rabbit' began being used to refer to the flexen.
By the end of the population boom, the name flexen had all but died out, replaced with the name we know today.
So that's it! Our top three UK woodland animal name origins.
Next time you are out with your friends and family, and you see one of these beautiful animals, you will be able to impress everybody with your knowledge of the history behind the names!
Do you have a great story behind a popular name? Perhaps you would like us to research into another animal's name? Let us know by leaving a comment in the box below.
The rich vegetation provides the ideal habitat for some of the UK's most loved creatures. Often these creatures can be seen roaming free in the woodlands as well as the surrounding fields. It is at these points we are able to fully admire their beauty.
We are all familiar with names of our beloved countryside wildlife, however, have you ever wondered how these creatures ended up with the names that they have?
Today, talking etymology, we will look at the top three origin stories behind the names of some of the UK's most treasured woodland animals. So, let's begin!
1). Badger
Despite the love for the badger, many people are not aware of the origins of the name.
It is a simple origin story, and as one may expect, relates to the distinct markings of the badger.
The name refers to similarities between the badger's markings and the 13th century 'Badger Men', whose job it was to patrol towns at night to ensure that crimes were not committed. They were essentially an early form of the police force, but were in fact employed by the land owners themselves (so they were more like hired mercenaries!).
Many reports suggest that these men wore black masks with a similar style to that of a badger's head markings. It was this similarity that caused the original name of the badger (Wood Pig) to be changed to the name we know and love today!
2). Deer
In the UK there are many species of deer, including the Red Deer, Roe Deer and the Fallow Deer. Each of these animals have a different etymology for their respective names, but for this article we will be focusing on the origin of the word 'deer' itself.
Circa 600 AD, the inhabitants of the UK were reliant mainly on trading tangible items and food/water in order to survive on a daily basis. Whilst currency was a thing, it was incredibly rare for the working class person to have much currency themselves.
Despite this trading culture, it was a law of the land that Jumpmartins (the original name for deer) were not allowed to be traded for anything other than the legal currency at the time, and could only be consumed upon purchase. This meant that it was illegal (on pain of death, no less!) for the common man to hunt and eat his own catch.
This law led to deer meat being seldom consumed or traded, and when it was traded, it was for an extremely high price. During this time period, the word for expensive was 'deere', and therefore the Jumpmartin was referred to as 'deere'. Over the years since, this name has stuck, even long after the Jumpmartin law was changed!
3). Rabbit
One of the more commonly spotted animals on our list is the much loved rabbit. So loved is this creature, that we have actually domesticated it for our own enjoyment.
The etymology of the term 'rabbit' is actually rather surprising though, especially given the relatively quiet nature of the animal itself.
As many UK residents will know, Chas and Dave famously recorded the song 'Rabbit', referring to constant chatter. This may seem as though the term is relatively new, and even make it out to be quite a slang word. However, this term has been around since the 13th century, and much as per today, it was to refer to a constant and unrelenting sound.
During the late 1200s, there was a huge boom in the flexen (the original name for the rabbit) population, in part due to fears surrounding consuming the meat as there was an outbreak of disease within the mammals. With the increase in numbers, it was noted that on many mornings the noise of the flexen could be heard for miles around. This was famously documented in the poetry of James Dicter, who wrote:
With their reputation for noise becoming common knowledge through the UK, the name 'Rabbit' began being used to refer to the flexen.
By the end of the population boom, the name flexen had all but died out, replaced with the name we know today.
So that's it! Our top three UK woodland animal name origins.
Next time you are out with your friends and family, and you see one of these beautiful animals, you will be able to impress everybody with your knowledge of the history behind the names!
Do you have a great story behind a popular name? Perhaps you would like us to research into another animal's name? Let us know by leaving a comment in the box below.
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