We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has a word that really gives us cats something to stand
on. After that, it’s on to Friendly Fill-Ins!
Words with Webster
Hi, all! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words with
Me. Today’s word is “paw.” This is another one of those words that we all know,
but I was kind of surprised by some of its earliest uses. To explore this word,
first I looked in my favorite dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
which said that a paw is “the foot of a quadruped (as the lion, dog, or cat)
having claws; broadly : the foot of an
animal.”
Next I went to the Oxford
English Dictionary, which said that a paw is “the foot of an animal having
claws and pads. Also: the hand of a monkey or ape.” So far so good, but that is
actually the second definition in the OED.
The first is this: “the foot or claw of a bird; the foot or claw of a dragon.
Now rare.”
The foot of a bird or dragon? Really??? (This is the part
that surprised me, in case you can’t tell.)
The earliest written occurrence of “paw” is from about 1330:
To dragouns þer layen..Þat on was rede so þe fer..Euerich powe a span long. (Osgar Duncan Macrae-Gibson, Of Arthour and of Merlin)
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| Real Cat Webster's paw. Cute, right? |
Yeah, I didn’t understand that either. So I went on to the
more familiar meaning, which appeared about 1440 (though from a work that may
have been composed around 1350):
So come a lyonne..And in hir pawes scho hent the childe. (Sir Isumbras)
At least now we have a lion. I understand that.
“Paw” was borrowed from the Old French “powe” or “poe,”
meaning “paw, fist.” Further etymology is uncertain, says the OED, but the word could have its
ultimate roots in a pre-Roman and pre-Celtic language.
Next time you think about how cute your cat’s paws are,
think about how they are kind of related to dragons’ feet!
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| Do your cat's paws resemble this dragon's, um, paws ? Image via AdobeStock. |
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 Real Cat
Paisley this week, are from Ellen of 15andmeowing, and the next two, answered
by old SoLT, are from Annie of McGuffy’s Reader.
Real Cat Paisley's answers:
1. September bucket list: 1) eat, 2) nap, 3) scare dog. Hey,
I’m finished!
2. If I came with a warning label, it would say “Prone to
pouncing without warning”!
3. Truth be told, I have no interest in Game of Thrones, and I am sick of
hearing about it (but I loved the first two books, so go figure).
I would never have thought of birdy feet as paws. Dragons' feet either, for that matter. How very interesting!
ReplyDeleteRCP, you and our Angel Xerxes sound a lot of like. We got surprise pounces from him, too. :)
I think, if I had a "job job", I would rather be blogging and writing my own books instead, too!
Have a blessed weekend. :)
I am having fun watching the minions pounce on everything. They scare themselves and each other regularly! Good answers! Hugs!
ReplyDelete"the foot or claw of a dragon. Now rare.”
ReplyDeleteYep, I haven't had a dragon at my feeders in years.
Always thought I'd get a dragon tattoo, but a cutesy, sweet dragon not a 'eat humans with ketchup' kind of one. When I was a kid, we use to call hands 'meathooks', as in, "get your meathooks off of me!" and usually yelled at a sibling who was rough-housing.
ReplyDeleteCats' paws are much cuter than any dragon's paws. Thank you both for your fill-in answers, I enjoyed them. Glad you already completed you September list Paisley :) I have never seen or read Game of Thrones. Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteAn adorable paw! Is Webster a polydactyl?! Or is that something white behind his paw?
ReplyDeleteSounds like paw is an amalgamation of "claw" and "pad?"
Prone to pouncing without warning sounds like our Angel Xerxes. He was a real wild kitty.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how so many common words have such a history? Totally agree with you about Game of Thrones. I just don't get the fascination. And I'd much rather write and blog than my regular job, even though I enjoy my day job and it pays much better LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's probably best not to tell cats they are compared to dragons...it might go to their heads. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I would much rather work on my blog, and maybe start a book, than do my job job either! Perhaps we should start playing the lottery? :)
Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets