FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 19 



formed by onomatopaeia,* or in imitation of their 

 natural cries and notes.f Thus, the name given 

 to the tamer animals, sheep or kine, was beme ; 

 in which sound, the lowing of the one, and the 

 bleating of the other, seem to be imitated : so 

 the name of the common ass, orud, and of the 

 wild ass, pra, resembles their braying. The 

 name of the raven, oreb, was doubtless taken 

 from its hoarse croaking ; of the sparrow, tsippor, 

 from its chirping ; of the partridge, quera, from 

 the note she uses in calling her young ; and the 

 murmur of the turtle-dove is exactly expressed 

 by its Hebrew name, tur, and evidently gave 

 rise to it. Other names seem taken from the 

 distinctive qualities of animals ; as, for instance, 

 the camel might be called gamel, from its re- 

 vengeful temper ; and the sheep, rachel, from its 

 meekness ; the ram agil 9 because agile and active. 

 The ingenious editor of Calmet, criticising on 

 the name of the stork, chasidah, which means 

 mercy or piety, supposes it to be derived from 

 the peculiar care taken by that bird of its aged 

 parents ; and says, " I take this opportunity of 

 remarking, that the external actions of any crea- 

 ture are most likely to give it an appellation 

 before its disposition ; and that, did we know 

 intimately the actions, appearances, and manners 



'* " The surest etymologies are those derived from the 

 onomatopaeia. " Rees's Cyclopcedia. 



t For some of the following observations relating to 

 the subject, the writer is indebted to Dr Harris's Natural 

 History of the Bible. 



