FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 
19 
formed by onomatopffiia,* 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, racket , from its 
meekness ; the ram agil, 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 Cydopadia. 
t For some of the following observations relating to 
the subject, the writer is indebted to Dr Harris's Natural 
History of the Bible. 
