7 ms·

Bat is actually "bald mouse", not "shaved", which makes sense somehow !

• deleted 3y ago
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• FoeNyx 3y ago
  The etymology of "chauve" (bald) in "chauve-souris" (bat) is debated, but I've often read that it could be a deformation of a word designating an owl or a crow (it would be a cognate with the late Latin "cavannus" (tawny owl), for example). On a similar note, the "cerf" (deer) in "un cerf-volant" (a kite toy) probably derive from occitan sèrp (snake) as a reference to dragon-shaped kites from Asia.
  • throw_pm23 3y ago
    Interesting, probably a cognate of latin serpens, also English serpent (=snake), the other is also from latin cervus (=deer).