dove versus pigeon

Status
Not open for further replies.

Mad-ox

Key Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2006
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Hungarian
Home Country
Romania
Current Location
Romania
Is there any difference in meaning between the following two: DOVE and PIGEON?


thank you in advance,
Madox
 

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
They're in the same family of birds, but doves are the smaller species. Also, pigeons are seen as a nuisance bird found in cities, while doves are thought to be pretty.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Is there any difference in meaning between the following two: DOVE and PIGEON?


thank you in advance,
Madox

Do the two different birds not have two different names in Hungarian?
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
If it's white, I would call it a dove.
 

Esredux

VIP Member
Joined
May 10, 2010
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Do the two different birds not have two different names in Hungarian?

From the linguistic point of view, I am not sure we see the difference between the two types of birds in Russian. True, certain suffixes can change the connotation, yet unless you are much into ornithology it's more about the accompanying adjectives that can vary the meaning.
 

BobSmith

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
From the linguistic point of view, I am not sure we see the difference between the two types of birds in Russian.

You have a very limited number of distinct words for types of birds in Russian?
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
The two most common varieties of these birds in the UK are the woodpigeon and the collared dove. As you can see from those links, they look different and they have completely different Latin names, so they do not appear even to be from the same species of bird.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
The two most common varieties of these birds in the UK are the woodpigeon and the collared dove. As you can see from those links, they look different and they have completely different Latin names, so they do not appear even to be from the same species of bird.
No, but elsewhere on that site we find that two of the doves mentioned have the latin species name 'columba', as does the woodpigeon, so there is no clear distinction between doves and turtles.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Clearly several years' childhood membership of the YOC (Young Ornithologists' Club) did nothing for this birdbrain! :-?
 

Esredux

VIP Member
Joined
May 10, 2010
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
You have a very limited number of distinct words for types of birds in Russian?

Quite the opposite. Apart form the 'official' classification of birds, there are also innumerable regional varieties for local species. However, to an average city dweller about 90% of this vocabulary will sound Chinese or be in passive at best.
Your 'collared dove' and 'woodpigeon' have different Russian equivalents. I have to confess I know them both but I'd never come up with any of them on my own, probably because I don't identify these birds in real life.
Still, just 'dove' and just 'pigeon' is one word, which is more about connotation than bird types.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top