We have two fun features for you this Friday. First up is
Words with Webster, in which he tells us something scientific. This is followed
by Friendly Fill-Ins.
Words with Webster
Hi, all! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words with
Me. Today’s word is Felis silvestris
lybica. This is the scientific name for the African Wildcat, which is the wildcat that all us modern domestic cats are descended from. These cats live in
Africa, obviously, but are also found from the Arabian Peninsula all the way up
to the Caspian Sea. They live in all kinds of habitats. If you want to know a
lot more about them, visit the International Society for Endangered Cats. We’ll also have more about them next Thursday,
so stay tuned.
But today we’re talking about words, so let's look at the actual name, Felis silvestris lybica (F.s. lybica for short). These three
words are the genus, species, and subspecies for the African Wildcat. I checked
in Mommy’s Latin and Greek dictionaries to find out what they mean:
- Felis: Latin for “cat”
- silvestris: Latin for “wild, untamed” (this word also means “wooded” or “living in woodlands”)
- lybica: From Libya, which is from the Greek for Africa north of the Sahara. The ancient Greeks got this name from a tribe that lived on the coast of what we call Libya today.
So, basically, the name means “cat, wild, African,” except we usually say it backwards: African wild cat.
Friendly Fill-Ins
And now it’s time for Friendly
Fill-Ins, from 15andmeowing and McGuffy’s Reader. They are a fun way to learn a little bit about the authors of
the blogs you read. The first two questions, answered by old SoLT this week,
are from Ellen of 15andmeowing, and the next two, answered by Real Cat Paisley,
are from Annie of McGuffy’s Reader.
Old SoLT’s answers:
1. A recurring dream I have is…Well, I don’t really have
any anymore. Years ago I used to have plane crash dreams, in which I’d be on
the ground and see an airliner crash near me. So that was sort of recurring,
but the details were always different. Sometimes I’d be helping rescue people,
sometimes there were no survivors. It was always distressing. I also used to
have “docu-dreams” that were like little documentaries, with a narrator. And
cartoon dreams. These days, I rarely remember my dreams.
2. Turn your ideas into actual blog posts (I keep
telling myself)!
Real Cat Paisley’s
answers:
3. Mommy is driving me crazy! (He he! You thought
I was going to say “the dog,” didn’t you?)
4. Lately, I have been having to get drops in my ears
every day, and I do not like it, at all, and that is why Mommy is driving me crazy.
Thanks for the word lesson, Webster. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that you have to get drops in your ears, Paisley. I don't like those either. Eye drops are even worse. I have to practically be tied down to get eye drops into my eyes.
#2 is a great thought! Way easier said than done, though, isn't it? haha
The plane crash dreams sound very upsetting. I think "docu-dreams" is interesting. Sometimes mine are like that, too. Mostly, mine are like a television that someone neglected to turn off. I wake up more tired than when I went to bed on dream-filled nights.
Have a blessed weekend!
Drops are annoying but they're better than shots.
ReplyDeleteThank you both for your fill-in answers and for teaching me a new word ( 3 actually). I am sorry you need ear drops- are they the cold ones? Joanie has to have those at the beginning of ever month and she hates them. Turning your ideas into blog posts is a good idea. I am glad I don't dream of plane crashes, that would be scary. Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping that those ear drops are helping to make Paisley feel better!
ReplyDeleteI finally saw, "That Darn Cat!" Thank you for talking about it on Monday. I'm completely in awe of Syn the Siamese - the only feline actor that even comes close to his genius is the cat who plays Jake in The Cat From Outer Space. I read a book a couple years ago that went through the evolution of the common house cat and their relation to current day wild cats. That part was fascinating - but I was sorely disappointed in the rest of the book. For someone who claimed to love cats, he didn't set a good example in terms of standards of care.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if we could get all the ideas that pop into our heads actually into posts. It seems that once we get to start writing them, they don't sound as good as they did in our head. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteEar drops are no fun, Webster, but they are for your own good! Thanks for teaching us a new word today, that was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI used to have long drawn out dreams that were like mini-movies. I don't much anymore though. I kind of miss them...it was fun to be entertained while I slept (maybe it's because I don't sleep as well as I did when I was younger!).
Cool words, Webster! I love how they come out backwards. I thought only the French language did that? Hope those pesky ear drops are done soon!
ReplyDeleteI love your answer to #2! I used to be so good about that, and somehow, just get sidetracked with too much to do, now. I need to work on that. I hope those ears get better. Eardrops are NO FUN! Hugs.
ReplyDelete