189 



"friFk,")the jumper; leech, the siezer; *' slug "and "sloth," the slow 

 one; alligator, (i. e. el lagarto,) the lizard; armadillo, the armed one; 

 porcupine, the pointed or hedge-hog; porpoise, the sea-hog; mergus, 

 the diver (compare do\e and c?ab-chick) ; halcyon, the sea-brooder; hawk, 

 the spoiler; owl, the howler; rook, (connected with raucus,) the hoarse 

 one ; petrel, (Ht. Petrello, or little Peter, from Peter's walking on the 

 sea,) the sea-walker ; ospray, (i. e. ossifrage,) the bone breaker ; salmon, 

 the leaper; pike and perch, the pointed fish; mackerel, (from Lat. 

 macula,) the spotted fish ; minnow, the little fish ; roach, the red-finned 

 fish ; plaice, (connected with TrXarvc,) the flat fish ; oyster, the bone fish ; 

 John Dorey,* (i. e, jaune doree,) " the yellow gilded" pheasant, from the 

 banks of the river Phasis. 



The names of fruits and flowers also are full of meaning and instruc- 

 tion. We have already seen that the root •• ac," sharp, enters into the 

 names of several animals and birds. It also forms an important 

 element in the names of flowers and trees, such as " ac-acia," the tree 

 with the pointed leaves; wc-anthus, the thorn; pyr-ac-anthus, the prickly 

 pear. The root "PI," pointed, is another. We have before traced 

 this root in the names '' jAke" " porcu/)me," and '* perch'/' we have it 

 also in pine, the pointed tree ; sj9i-nach, so called from its prickly or 

 pointed fruit; spina, a thorn; ^^ar, the pointed fruit. The stem "ro " 

 or " ru," red, we have already seen in the words "roe-buck," "roach," 

 and " rwdd;" we may discern it also in "rose," the red flower; rhodo- 

 dendron, the tree of roses or red flowers ; prim-rose, the first rose ; 

 rwsset, and others. The syllable "or," the French form of the Latin 

 aurum, (gold,) we had in John Dorey, and we find it also in the 

 word orange, (i. e. aurantium,) the golden-coloured fruit. 



Other names of fruits and flowers are full of interest and information, 

 such as " auricula," the flower with the ear-shaped leaves ; dandelion, 

 i. e. dent de lion, or lion's-tooth ; daffodil, a corruption of d'asphodele ;t 

 the daisy, or days-eye, with its eye of gold;| the crocus, or yellow 

 flower; the carnation, or flesh-coloured flower; the campanula, or 



♦ Mr Trench, in his " Notes on the Miracles," quotes Moule's Heraldry of Fish, stating 

 that " The dory, called St. Peter's fish in several countries of Europe, contends with the 

 haddock the honour of bearing the marks of the apostle's fingers, an impression transmitted 

 to pasterity as a perpetual memorial of our Lord's miracle." The name of the dory is henco 

 asserted to be derived from the French adore, worshipped. 



•f We have several instances of similar corruptions, as Jerusalem artichoke, from girasole 

 articiocco, or sunflower artichoke. 



t " The daisy with its eye of gold, 

 Looks up into the sky." 



Trench. 



