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▲ mhd 5 hours ago

Any reason why they didn't get their own "meat name" then? I thought that the "cow/beef"-"pig/pork" split was due do that, with the initially Norman nobles consuming most of that luxury meat. Thus nothing for "chicken", either. Did "lapin" or something like that get lost?

▲card_zero 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Yes, cony: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cony#English

See also the note at rabbit: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rabbit#English apparently rabbits themselves are all French. "hare is indeed inherited from Proto-Germanic."

▲10000truths an hour ago | parent | next [-]

I'm guessing it's a cognate with the Spanish word for rabbit (conejo)?

▲KurSix 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

So hares are the locals and rabbits are the French immigrants

▲ButlerianJihad 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Instruction on recognizing the bun [the scientific term] and their ranks: https://m.xkcd.com/1682/

Sequels include bun alert: https://m.xkcd.com/1871/

And bun trend: https://m.xkcd.com/1903/

▲Chris2048 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The reason it got "lost":

> the similarity to cunt (and particularly homophony with cunny) led through taboo avoidance both to the word's displacement in the main by rabbit and bunny

▲excannuk 20 minutes ago | parent [-]

[dead]

▲sandworm101 43 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

See also "Welsh rabbit" which is even more confusing.

▲choult 41 minutes ago | parent [-]

It's spelled Rarebit, not rabbit

▲kristianc 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

We did get poultry from French poulet

▲larodi 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Chicken/poultry?

▲dmurray 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Chicken/pullet seems to have gone the opposite way: pullet (French) is exclusively for the animal but chicken (Germanic) can be either the animal or its meat.

▲shevy-java 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Is chicken really German though? A hen is called "Huhn" (Das Huhn), and chicken may be more appropriately translated as "Geflügel" (or rather, the latter would be poultry; chicken would be "Huhn" or "Hähnchen"). I don't see the germanic origin insinuated here for the word "chicken", whereas I do so it for "hen" <- "Huhn" quite easily. (And "Geflügel" has "Flügel" which relates more easily to flight/to fly, or better Flügel=wing).

▲dmurray 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Wiktionary [0] seems pretty confident ("Germanic" includes all of the languages below, not just modern German).

[0] From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic kiukīn (“chicken”), or alternatively from Proto-West Germanic kukkīn, equivalent to cock +‎ -en.

Compare North Frisian schückling (“chicken”), Saterland Frisian Sjuuken (“chicken”), Dutch kuiken (“chick, chicken”), German Low German Küken (“chick”), whence German Küken (“chick”), (elevated, obsolete) German Küchlein (“chick”) and Old Norse kjúklingr (“chicken”).

▲Orphis 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In the same family of languages (proto-germanic), you'll have Swedish for which the word for the meat is "kyckling" which more pronounced like "chickling".

Modern German might have changed along the way, but if you go back far enough, there should be something. I'm not a linguist or a native speaker of a Proto-Germanic language, so I don't know enough to pinpoint this better.

▲inglor_cz 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

In German, you can also use the word Küken, which is very clearly a cognate of English chicken.

Know this song? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Yce3AxF9c

▲themaninthedark an hour ago | parent | next [-]

I did not, do you know this one: https://youtu.be/Ppm5_AGtbTo?is=JXIEHIckWMhcfmUP

Also bonus one: https://youtu.be/miomuSGoPzI?is=IpXvzjGRIswRjUsv

▲ButlerianJihad an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Oh my dirndl. I am now a fan of Heidis Küken and I will be carefully studying vocabulary with them.

Here is Die Sauerkrauts, presenting the Chicken Dance: https://youtu.be/jJcCwbV5kp8?is=Ug4EqlKjN2o9xjBe

▲mdurana 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Funnily enough in Switzerland they use "Poulet" to mean exclusively chicken meat.

▲shevy-java 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Sounds very french-like in origin. Do all in Switzerland use that though? Even the exclusively german-speaking part? In Austria there is a West-East difference, some words spoken by the Vorarlbergers (most western part) we don't too easily understand in the east (it's quite similar to swiss-german in some ways in the western area, but not identical either).

▲Leherenn 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Yes, the GP was referring about Swiss German. Not sure if it's used in all the dialects, but at least Züritüütsch uses it.

But you're right it's most likely a much more recent import from French, just like "velo", "merci" and others.

▲ThrustVectoring 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

The introduction of rabbits to England post-dates the Norman conquest.

▲ithkuil 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

And the word rabbit comes there from french rabotte which however comes in turn from a Germanic language (dutch) so it doesn't feel quite french.

▲sandworm101 6 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I find it hard to believe that the romans didn't bring rabbits with them. Also, given the fullness of time, it is hard to believe that rabbits didn't ever catch a ride with any number of pre-roman visitors.

▲pdw 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Right, commoners would initially only have known them as exotic burrowing hares.

▲iand 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

This contradicts the article.