[Vocabulary] hedgehog and other words

[virus99]

Hi forum!

Does anybody know how words such as "hedgehog" emerge? :-D
I mean a hedgehog is not really a pig, is it?

And do you know similar words? Is there a grammatical designation for words like that?

Thanks in advance!

 

[riquecohen]

Hi forum!

Does anybody know how words such as "hedgehog" emerge? :-D
I mean a hedgehog is not really a pig, is it? It is not. See below.

And do you know similar words? Is there a grammatical designation for words like that?

Thanks in advance!

Look here. Hedgehog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[SoothingDave]

Not any more than a groundhog is a pig. Nor is a guinea pig.

I imagine there are not so many words as we think there are, so we have to reuse them creatively at times. Greeks called a hippopotamus a "river horse." The French calls potatoes "apples of the earth."

 

[Ouisch]

The "hog" part of the hedgehog's name originated because of the animal's pig-like snout. Some creatures get odd names like that, simply due to their outward appearance. For example, a seahorse never ventures out of the water and you can't saddle and ride it, but because its cute little head has a definite equine quality it was dubbed with a horsey name.

 

[Hedwig]

Not any more than a groundhog is a pig. Nor is a guinea pig.

I imagine there are not so many words as we think there are, so we have to reuse them creatively at times. Greeks called a hippopotamus a "river horse." The French calls potatoes "apples of the earth."

And the Italian for tomato is 'apple of gold'.

 

[Tdol]

I imagine there are not so many words as we think there are, so we have to reuse them creatively at times. Greeks called a hippopotamus a "river horse."

Out of the water, it may look like a creative coinage, but when they move in water, they are more graceful and do look like horses riding IMO.