Saturday, March 28, 2009

If a cat is feline…

A comment I just wrote on Generic Discourse gave me an idea so my planned post for today will have to wait.

I will list all the Latin animal group names I know (without searching the net) and you dear readers can add to the list in comments or do your own post.

I’ll give a hearty congratulations (I hear you say “Wow really Lou? You’re so very very generous”) to the most interesting or informative comment on the subject.

OK let’s start with the easy ones that almost everyone knows -

    • Feline – cat Bovine
    • Canine – dog 
    • Bovine – cow

..then the next level -

    • Lupine – wolf
    • Ovine – sheep
    • Ursine – bear
    • Porcine – pig
    • Equine - horse
    • Piscine – fish 

OK now it’s getting tough but I can think of at least one more -

    • Asinine - donkey

Aha a more obscure one just popped into my head. I must admit I only know this one because I remember my teacher telling us when I was about 10 and for some reason it stuck in my head -

    • Aquiline – eagle

OK consider yourself challenged all you brainiacs out there to come up with more. There are hundreds and hundreds so put your thinking caps on.  Use the net if you must though that somewhat takes the fun out of it.

8 comments:

  1. You're kidding, right? Once you got beyond dog, cat, horse and cow, that was it for me.

    How about this one for myself though: Ignoramus.

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  2. And no, I didn't have to look that one up online.

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  3. Keylines---little green beasties living in the Keys in Florida (US). Often times they are found by the side of the road, well, dead...and folks down there make a delicious pie out of them which they call, Keyline Pie.

    OK, I made this up...totally lost after Cat. I am once again impressed with the extent of your brain power :)

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  4. I just thought of another one; Lionine = lion (I think)

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  5. Well so much for that eh?

    My 'hearty congrats' go to JadedJ as at least you tried (kind of, sort of). I am not brainy J just can remember some things.

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  6. Today I learned sheep, bear, and eagle. Thanks for the information. I can remember bear from Ursa Minor and Ursa Major. Eagle - Aquarius, and air sign (despite being the water bearer) and sheep? I dunno, but I am a sheep in the Chinese Zodiac so I will just work hard at the memorization thing I guess :P

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  7. I know! Bovine without the B for Bull - teehee!

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  8. Yes that would work Chiaroscuro (aside: I remember learning about chiaroscuro in classical studies and art history at school but I must confess I never really got the hang of what it meant - something about light and shadow and contrast?? I remember Raphael in conjunction with chiaroscuro I think). Do you have a blog chiaroscuro? If so why is it that I can't it? Is it private? C'mon girl (gender assumption there in a big way) I showed you mine :-(

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