Language,
like culture and history, is not static. It constantly evolves and
expands as people
interact with their world and each other. There is no better example
than the English
language, which has borrowed more than two-thirds of its words over the
years.
Have students use a good dictionary to research the
origin of the animal names found in the
poem, Children of the Amazon. Then, have them each choose one or two
other animals
from various regions of the world and research the geographical origin and
current distribution
of these animals. Next, check the dictionary for the origin of the
animals' names.
Do the word origins always match the geographical origin/distribution
of the animal?
Why or why not? What language is used to represent the scientific
names of
animals? Why was just one language chosen for this purpose?
Here is an alphabetical list of English animal names
with a wide range of origins:
aardvark condor hamadryas
agouti dachshund
hoopoe
ai
dingo hyrax
alpaca echidna
ibis
appaloosa eland
impala
babirusa fer de lance
jacamar
barracuda ferret
jackal
chamois gecko kangaroo
chow goose kinkajou
cicada guar kiwi
kookaburra quagga umbrette
lammergeier quahog urus
lemur
quetzal vervet
malamute ratel vicuna
markhor rhea
vinegarroon
narwhal rottweiler wallaby
nene saiga
wapiti
newt samoyed
wambat
ocelot schnauzer xiphosuran
okapi sika
yak
opossum skunk
yucca moth
orangutan tapir
zebu
panda terrapin
zyzzyva
peccary tinamou
pika tsetse fly
Which animals on the list do students recognize immediately?
Ask students, "What percent
of these are English words?" (The answer is 100%.) What percentage
of these English
words have an English origin? Look up word origins, research the animals,
write reports,
illustrate, make dioramas and display your "Obscure Animal Zoo."
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