From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!zeppo!wheps!ihnss!ihps3!stolaf!borman
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: Re: Psychological distance
Article-I.D.: stolaf.391
Posted: Mon Jun 21 01:14:49 1982
Received: Thu Jun 24 01:22:35 1982


	I didn't see the original letter on this, but I've got a comment
	on the different names given to the animal and the meat.  The
	English language has many pairs of words of this type:
		beef	cow
		pork	pig
		lamb	sheep
	These three come to mind quickly.  If you trace back in the
	English language, you will come to the time when the Normans
	invaded what is now England.  The locals spoke Anglo-Saxon, and
	the Normans spoke Norman, related to French.  The first column
	above is traced to Norman, and the second column to Anglo-Saxon.
	Since the Normans were the rulers, the 'common' speech of Anglo-
	Saxon was looked down on, and not used at the table, where as
	out in the stables, the locals used their terms. The two languages
	became intertwined, but many of the social distincions remained.
	Thus, we have many word pairs of this type in the English language.

	By the way, this isn't limited to just animals.  Many of our
	'dirty' or 'vulgar' words came from Anglo-Saxon.  One example
	is feces/shit.  The first is considered acceptable, where as
	the second is still considered vulgar.

	My mother's an English teacher, and that's who I first heard
	this from.  I may have forgotten things, or mixed something
	up.  If anyone is aware of errors I've made, please correct me.
	By the way, I find the etymologies of words interesting.
	Is there any one out there who has ever sat down and read
	a dictionary, looking at etymologies?  I get strange looks
	when I mention that I occasionally read dictionaries...

				-Dave Borman
				St. Olaf College
				ihnss!ihps3!stolaf!borman