2 THE SHEEP AND ITS COUSINS 



these animals — especially as represented by lambs — 

 were regarded as the emblem of purity, innocence, 

 and righteousness, while their near relative, the 

 goat, occupied precisely the opposite position. 



The ancient sheep referred to above were almost 

 certainly of Eastern origin, and thus derived, in all 

 probability, from one or more Asiatic wild species ; 

 but it is also quite probable that the Prehistoric 

 inhabitants of Europe tamed the wild moufion, 

 which although now restricted to the islands of 

 Sardinia and Corsica, in former times probably 

 enjoyed a wider distribution. If this be so, 

 European domesticated sheep represent a complex 

 type, derived from at least two totally distinct wild 

 sources. 



Unlike some domesticated animals, the sheep 

 possesses a distinct vernacular species-name of its 

 own ; that term being applicable to both sexes, and 

 to the animal at all ages. As might have been 

 expected, the word sheep has a very ancient origin, 

 and is represented by allied terms in most of the 

 Aryan languages. It is the equivalent, for instance, 

 of the Anglo-Saxon sceap or sceop, of the Danish 

 schaap, the German schaf, the Old German scafa.nd 

 awi, the Lithuanian or Old Teutonic awis or awis, 

 the Latin ovis, and the Greek o'is (which becomes, 

 by the introduction of the digamma, ojis), all of 

 which are derived from the Sanskrit avi, a modifica- 

 tion of the root av, signifying to keep or to guard. 



