Archive for 'etymology'

Phrases to Crow About

crow’s feet, originally uploaded by formica.

There are many a phrase incorporating the word “crow”. I am a language nerd, and true to form, I am always curious about the etymology of phrases or words. Crow terms are no exception. So I set out to learn a bit more about a few of the more common [...]

Rooks, Easter Lore and More

Like many in the corvid family Rooks are attached to many legends, myths, lore and superstitions. In Shropshire, it was believed that rooks never carried sticks to their nests on Sundays or Ascension Day, but simply sat quietly on trees and did not work. It was also believed to be futile to wear new clothes [...]

Are the words Ravenous and Raven related?

Simply, no. But…
One could easily imagine the word ravenous, meaning ‘voracious, very hungry’, originating from the word raven. Particularly, if you have ever watched raven nestlings eat. They need to eat every couple of hours and not just snacks either. Bernd Heinrich in the Mind of the Raven gives us a snippet of exactly how [...]