Names of Animals. 5693 



are as obviously to be referred to a very distinct root. With the 

 Anglo-Saxon schreava I should compare the French sour is, Latin 

 sorex, and Greek u^ak. The meaning of the name is shown us by our 

 own word shrill, as also the Sanscrit svri, to whisper. Country 

 people generally make two syllables of the word, pronouncing it 

 " sher-ew." This confirms the idea that the name is imitative of the 

 animal's voice. 



Erdshrew is also found as a name for this creature. The first syl- 

 lable is clearly the Anglo-Saxon eorth, earth. 



Badger is derived by Skinner from the Teutonic back, a jaw, from 

 the strength of that part in our animal. To my mind this is hardly 

 satisfactory ; but I have nothing better to offer. Brock, Anglo-Saxon 

 Broc, is a name given from the sulky snarling of the creature when 

 "badgered." In Welsh broc also means a noise. Like the name of 

 our rook, and the Latin raucas, harsh, it is intended to imitate harsh 

 or unpleasant cries. 



Weasel is the Anglo-Saxon wesle, Dutch wesel, German wisel. 

 Probably it is named, like the shrew, from its shrill whistling cry. 



Ermine in Spanish is Armenio. Gwillin, in his ' Display of Heral- 

 drie,' gives the origin of the name : — " This is a little beest, lesse than 

 a squirrell, that hath his being in the woods of the land of Armenia, 

 whereof hee taketh his name." Stoat is undoubtedly the same word 

 as stoat, as the name is still pronounced in some parts of the country. 

 In the ' Gentleman's Magazine' for 1784, p. 732, we read : — "Per- 

 haps the fumart is the animal we know here (Berkshire) by the name 

 of the stout, though very improperly called so, being, I believe, the 

 smallest beast we have, except the mouse. It partakes of the nature 

 of the weasel." But this difficulty is removed when we remember 

 that stout originally meant bold ; and, improper as the word seems in 

 its usual acceptation, we at once recognize its truthfulness in the 

 sense of stout-hearted. 



Foumart, fumart, fulimart, and other varieties of spelling, are all 

 of them contractions of foul marten. The name is of course derived 

 from the disgusting smell of the well-known secretion of the animal. 

 The same prefix appears in the name of the fulmar. Polecat is 

 a w r ord which has given rise to many conjectures. Mr, Bell suggests 

 that it is simply Polish cat ; but historical evidence is wanting where- 

 by to connect it with Poland. Mr. Talbot thinks that it may mean 

 furcat ; and he compares the Anglo-Saxon pylca, a fur garment; poell, 

 a cloak; — which are identical with the Latin pallium, cloak; pellis, 

 skin : German, pclz, fur; fell, skin : and our own yroxdipeel. But in 



