NAMING OF SOME ANIMALS
Rhinoceros
“Rhinoceros” literally means “nose-horned.” The “rhino-” part is the same as in words like “rhinoplasty,” which means plastic surgery of the nose, while the “-ceros” part is the same root found in words like “keratin.”
Keratin is a type of protein found in the cells of hair, nails, and rhino horns. It helps to make them strong and flexible.
The root of the word “cerous” can be related to both horn and head.
So, a changed version, “cran,” is used to describe heads.
The “epicranium” is the tissue that covers the top of our skull. “Epi-” means outer, and “cran-” means head. In grasshoppers, the epicranium is the hard, outer part of their head, similar to a protective helmet.
Interestingly enough, the Arabic word “قرن” also refers to horn. So, “rhinoceros” in Arabic is “وحيد القرن” (wahid al qarn), meaning the one with a horn.
“Carrot” is named because of its horn-like shape.
Octopus
As we know, “octo-” means eight.
In the word “October,” “octo-” means eight. I think you have started counting what is the position of October. You have counted right: October is not the 8th but the 10th month in our calendar.
And “pous” means foot, which is from the root *ped, like we use in “arthropod.”
Though octopuses have eight arms, not legs, they are named so.
Platypus
The word “platypus” is derived from the Greek words “platys,” meaning “flat,” and “pous,” meaning “foot.”
The “flat foot” reference in the name “platypus” refers to its webbed feet, which are flat and suitable for swimming. Webbed feet are toes that are connected by a thin piece of skin.
Polypus
“Polypus” means “many foot.” It refers to the many arms characteristic of certain marine animals, such as sea anemones or certain types of small sea creatures.
A polyp in cnidarians is like the body form of animals like sea anemones and coral. It’s a bit like a tube with tentacles around the opening. These tentacles help them catch food. The reason it’s called a “polyp” is because of its shape—it’s kind of like a tiny column or a vase.
Cnidarians, like jellyfish, have two main body forms: the polyp and the medusa. The polyp is usually the stationary form, attached to the sea floor or another surface, while the medusa is the free-swimming form, like what you typically think of when you picture a jellyfish.
The abnormal growth in nasal passages is called a nasal polyp. In the case of sea anemones, the polyp is shaped like a column or vase, while in nasal polyps, they’re small, teardrop-shaped growths in the nasal passages.
Turtle
The word “turtle” comes from the Latin word “tortuca” or “tortuca” in Late Latin. It’s believed to be related to the Latin word “tortus,” which means “twisted” or “bent.” This likely refers to the shape of a turtle’s shell or the turtle’s leg, which is often curved or rounded. So, “turtle” essentially means “the creature with a twisted or bent shell or leg.”
“Torque” is a measure of the rotational force applied to an object. It is often described as the ability of a force to rotate an object around an axis. This word also contains the sense of rotating or twisting.
Hippopotamus
“Hippopotamus” is derived from the ancient Greek “hippos” (horse) and “potamos” (river), meaning “river horse.”
The common Greek name “Philip” is from two words: “Philippos,” meaning lover of horses.
“Mesopotamia” is the ancient name for the land that lies between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers north of Babylon (in modern Iraq), from Greek “mesopotamia” (“meso-” meaning middle), literally “a country between two rivers.”
Tiger
The word “Tigris” has its origins in ancient languages. It’s believed to have originated from the Old Persian word “Tigrā,” meaning “arrow.”
The same word is used to describe the river Tigris. The river is named so for its fast and arrow-like flow.
The naming of the tiger could also be because of its attacking nature with speed on a specific target.
Squirrel
“Squirrel” goes back to Medieval Latin “scurellus,” a diminutive of “sciurus,” which goes back to the Greek “skia” (shade) + “oura” (tail). Squirrels use their tails to shade their bodies, and you can often see them holding them up like tiny, fluffy parasols.
“Eurochordata” is named because the notochord is in the tail of the phylum in the larva stage.
Orangutan
“Orangutan” comes from the Malay words “orang,” meaning “person,” and “hutan,” meaning “forest,” thus “person of the forest.”
This name not only highlights the orangutan’s physical resemblance to humans but also emphasizes its close association with the forest habitat. They are primarily tree-dwelling (arboreal) animals, spending the majority of their lives high in the trees, swinging from branch to branch, and building nests for sleeping.
Leopard
The word “leopard” comes from the Greek words “leon” (lion) and “pardos” (panther). It was used to describe an animal that was thought to be a mix of a lion and a panther. You can think of a leopard as a specific type of panther that is like a lion in color. So, a leopard is a type of panther, but not all panthers are leopards. Panthers can also include black jaguars and cougars, depending on the region and the context.
Dolphin
The term “dolphin” originates from the Greek word “delphis,” meaning “womb.”
The Greeks associated dolphins with the womb because of the way they give birth to children, which was seen as a connection to human childbirth.
You can guess from the name that even though they are like fish and live in water, they are actually mammals.
Ferret
This name is fitting because ferrets are known for their inquisitive and playful nature, often “stealing” small objects and hiding them.
The origin of the word is related to bearing or carrying. Simply enough, in order to steal, you need to carry secretly.
“Ferrum” is the Latin name for iron; this is from the same origin.
The name comes from the sense of something which is carried. As ferrum was used extensively in making tools and weapons, it was something always carried.