The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

i. Livestock and beasts of burden (De pecoribus et
iumentis) 1. Adam was the first to confer names on
all the animals, assigning a name to each one at the
moment of its creation, according to the position in
nature that it holds. 2. The different nations have also
given names to each of the animals in their own languages
– for Adam did not assign these names in the
Latin or Greek language, or in any of the languages of
foreign nations, but in that language which, before the
Flood, was the language of all peoples, which is called
Hebrew. 3. InLatin they are called animals (animal) or
‘animate beings’ (animans), because they are animated
(animare) bylifeandmoved by spirit. 4. Quadrupeds
(quadrupes)aresocalled because they walk on four feet
(quattuor pedes); while these may be similar to livestock,
they are nevertheless not under human control – such
as deer, antelopes, onagers, et cetera. But they are not
beasts, such as lions, nor are they beasts of burden, which
could assist the useful activities of humans.
5. Wecall any animal that lacks human language and
form ‘livestock’ (pecus). However, strictly speaking, the
term ‘livestock’ is usually applied to those animals that
are either suitable for food, such as sheep and swine,
or are suitable for use by humans, such as horses and
oxen. 6. Thereisadistinction between the terms pecora
(i.e. the plural of pecus,neuter) and pecudes (i.e. the
plural of pecus, feminine), for the ancients commonly
used to saypecora with the meaning “all animals,” but
pecudes were only those animals that are eaten, as if the
word were pecuedes (cf. esse, 1 st person edo,“eat”). But in
general every animal is called pecus from the word ‘pasturing’
(pascere). 7. ‘Beasts of burden’ (iumenta) derive
their name from the fact that they assist (iuvare) our
labor and burdens by their help in carrying or plowing,
for the ox pulls the carriage and turns the hardest
clods of earth with the plowshare; the horse and ass
carry burdens, and ease people’s labor when they travel.
Whence they are called beasts of burden because they
assist humans, for these are animals of great strength. 8.
They are also called a herd (armentum) either because
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Book XII
Animals (De animalibus)
they are suited for arms (arma), that is, warfare, or
because we use them when we are armed. Others understand
herds to be oxen only, from ‘plowing’ (arare), as if
the word were aramentum, [or because they are armed
(armare) with horns]. There is a distinction between
herds and flocks (grex), for ‘herd’ is used for horses and
oxen, while ‘flock’ is used for goats and sheep.
9.Asheep (ovis)isamild livestock animal, with wool,
adefenseless body, and a peaceful temperament, and it
is so called from sacrifice (oblatio), because at first the
ancients offered not bulls, but sheep, in sacrifice. They
call some of them bidens (lit. “two-toothed”) – those
with two of their eight teeth longer than the rest; most
often the pagans used to sacrifice these. 10. Thewether
(vervex) iseither named from ‘force’ (vis, gen.viris),
because it is stronger than the other sheep, or because it
is male (vir), that is, masculine; or because it has a worm
(vermis) inits head – irritated by the itching of these
worms they butt against each other and strike with great
force when they fight. 11.Theram(aries)iseither named
after the word , that is, after ‘Mars’ – whence we
call the males in a flock ‘males’ (mas, gen.maris) –or
because this animal was the first to be sacrificed on altars
(ara, gen.aris) bypagans. So, the ‘ram’ because it was
placed on the altar; whence also this (Sedulius, Paschal
Poem 1.115):
The ram is offered at the altar.
12. Although the Greeks name the lamb (agnus) from
(“holy”) as if it were sacred, Latin speakers think
that it has this name because it recognizes (agnoscere) its
mother before other animals, to the extent that even if it
has strayed within a large herd, it immediately recognizes
the voice of its parent by its bleat.
13. Thekid(haedus) issocalledfromeating(edere),
for the young ones are very juicy and pleasing in flavor.
Whence also [‘eat’ (edere) and] foodstuffs (edulia) are
named. 14. Thehe-goat (hircus) isalascivious animal,
butting and always eager to mate; his eyes look sideways
on account of wantonness, whence he has taken his