• randomsnark@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Meanwhile in English we just borrow things from other languages and forget what they mean. For example, porpoise, from old French porpois, from Latin porcus marinus, meaning… ah, yes: sea pig.

    • morhp@lemmy.wtf
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      1 year ago

      “most” would be an exaggeration, but many are. Other animals commonly used in placeholder names are also horse, chicken and lion.

      Pig was just the most common meat animal, so any unknown animal that you’d eat would he called an xyz pig. Apple was also used like this for all kinds of fruits and vegetables:

      orange = Chinese apple

      tomato = golden apple (?)

      pomegranate = granate apple

      potato = earth apple

      jimsonweed = thorn apple

      And so on