36 Origin of the Names of Beasts, Birds, and Insects. 



Pheasant, (Gr. cpaai,av6g, Lat. phasianus, Fr. faisan, fern, fai- 

 sande, Germ, fasan ;) from the river Phasis ; as if the Phasian. 



(9.) By means of the suffix ent, (=Lat. ens, gen. entis,) form- 

 ing participial adjectives ; as, 



Serpent, (Sansc. sarpa, Gr. hqnsT6v, Lat. serpens ;) from Sansc. 

 y/ srip, (=Gr. \/ iqn, Lat. \/serp ;) as if the creeper. 



(10.) By means of the suffix on, (Gr. mv, gen. ovtoq, Lat. o, gen. 

 onis ;) forming participial adjectives ; as, 



Dragon, (Gr. dq&xav, Lat. draco, Germ, drache ;) from the root 

 of Gr. digxm, to see ; as if the sharpsighted. 



Lion, (Gr. Um', Lat. /eo, Germ, lowe, Old Germ. Zei^o or hliiiwa, 

 Anglo-Sax. leo ;) from the root of Old Germ, liuwon, Anglo-Sax. 

 hleiuan or hlowan, and Eng. to low ; as if the lovjer. 



( 1 1.) By means of the suffix on, denoting the subject ; as. 



Capon, (Gr. y.<'mojv, Lat. capo, Fr. chapoti, Ital. cappone ;) from 

 the root of Gr. y-umb), and Fr. couper, to cut or mangle ; as if the 

 mangled. 



Falcon, {hat. falco, Germ, falke. Old Germ, valho, Fr.faucon, 

 Ital. falcone ;) from the root of Old Germ, valo. Germ, fahl, Fr. 

 fauve, and ^ng. fallow ; as ii the falloio- colored. 



Griffon, (Gr. 7^i;;i//, Lat. gryps, Fr. griffon, Ital. griffone. Germ. 

 greif;) from the root of Germ, greifen and Eng. ^o gripe; as if 

 Me seizer. 



Pigeon, (Fr. pigeon, Ital. piccione ;) from the root of Ital. jpec- 

 care and Eng. to peck ; as if the pecker. Comp. Fr. beccasse, from 

 5ec, a beak. 



Stallion, (Fr. etalon, Ital. Stallone;) from the root of stoZ/ ; as if 

 i/ie sto/Z /lorse. 



(12.) By means of the suffix oc/*;, forming diminutives; as, 



Bullock, (Anglo-Sax. bulluca, Germ, hullochs;) from Eng. hull; 

 as if the young hull. 



4. Other names are formed by derivation from verbal or nomi- 

 nal roots, by means of prefixes ; as, 



Antelope, from Gr. (i/r/, equal to or resembling, and Ua(po?, a 

 stag ; as if stag-like. 



5. Other names are formed by onomatopeia, or derived from 

 the natural sound of the bird or insect. 



(1.) Where there is a repetition of the natural sound; as, 

 Cuckoo, (Sansc. kokila, Gr. noxxvi., Lat. cuculus, Fr. coiicou, 

 Span, and Port, cuco, Germ, kucktik, Dutch koekkoek, Old Slav. 



