perk/prick

[irinaofr]

I was wondering if you could help.
I saw both words used for dog's ears. Couln't understand the difference in the definitions and examples given (neither from the photos).


Perk: Dog ears perk up when you call him

Prick:
(especially of a horse or dog) make (the ears) stand erect when on the alert.
"the dog's ears were pricked"



Many thanks.

 

[BobK]

Use prick. If a dog is feeling perky, its ears will be pricked.

b

 

[irinaofr]

Thank you.

Will both sentences be correct?

1)Dog ears perk up when you call him.
2)Dog ears are pricked when you call him.

I saw 1) online.

 

[BobK]

If I were to say 1 is wrong, I would expect a chorus of disapproval from people who thought I wasn't aware of how language changes. And one of those ways is the ultimate acceptance of something that initially was a mistake. Elsewhere I wrote

The word VESPERTILIONES was glossed in this document [an early list for travellers of equivalent phrases and mistakes] as CHAUVE-SOURIS. Elcock goes on:

.... In fact, bats are not noticeably bald..., and one is tempted to infer that CALVAS SORICES is a product of 'popular etymology', hiding a quite different word. In most French patois bats are called 'flying-mice' or 'bird-mice'; it may well be that CALVAS is in reality *KAWAS [the asterisk is a convention used to mark a supposed, not attested, form], the Germanic word which survives as the root of Fr, chouette 'owl'.

'Owl-mouse' - for chauve-souris - would make much more sense. But what caused the change from *KAWAS to CALVAS? ...

So I would say the use of 'perk up' given in 1 is not entirely acceptable yet, but it's understandable and therefore becoming more widely accepted. If you ask the same question in 50 years, the answer might be 'Yes, it's right', but somebody else would be answering!

b

 

[irinaofr]

Good enough for me, thank you!

 

[MikeNewYork]

There is a great variety in the ears of different dog breeds. Some stand up and others do not.

 

[Tdol]

I wouldn't use perk up for a dog's ears, but wouldn't object to it.