|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
In Discover magazine, Dec. 2001, in an article entitled "Risks" is described antelope pursued by a cheetah jumping straight up with legs straight. This is called "stotting". I could not find the word in any of my dictionaries, but I found it in several sites. Cheetahs also do it. As a guess it might be of South African Dutch origin.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Dear wwh,
STOTTING is a grrrrrrr-eat word!!
Imagine a stilter stotting! A stotting stilter! A stilter who stots. A stilter, a sot, who stots. A star stilter, a sot, who stots. An optic star stilter, a sot, who stots.
There's a lot to stot, but I better stop.
DubDub
tsuwm, please do NOT look up the bloody word. I really like this one and don't want you to come here telling us it's a typo or something like that or can't be used in Scrabble! Killjoy!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Stot away, Dub' Dub. It's in the brick and mortar OED even. Says it's of obscure origin but may be from a Teutonic root and then gives some possibly related words in Old Norse, Old Saxon and Old High German. Doesn't say anything about Afrikaans.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
just so, although you neglect to mention that it is mainly Scot. and is not recognized by the OSPD* (US Scrabble, that is).
*but. stotinka is recognized; it is a Bulgarian monetary unit. Scrabble really is a stupid game.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
not recognized by the OSPD
So if you don't like Mrs. Byrne Scrabble® play OED Scrabble.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
<slapping forehead with palm>
how could have I forgotten to check with Mrs. B? she does have stot - with 2 n. senses and 3 v-n. and v. senses.
the seemingly unrelated n. stot is a steer, or heifer, or a stupid clumsy person (Scot.).
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Since the behavior is noted prinicpally in two African animals, why should an Afrikans origin seem implausible?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605 |
tswum, re stot: what Byrne have you got? what do we wot?
My Byrne says:
n 1. a young horse. 2. a three-year-old castrated bull
n & v.i. 1. stumble, stagger. 2. bounce, rebound. 3. stammer
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Keiva: Mrs.B's "bounce" would fit. Incidentally this behaviour, which to some biologists seems a stupid way of wasting energy, to a shrewdie meant on the contrary, the animal was telling the predator, I'm so full of energy, you'd do better to chase someone else who is tired.
I remember seeing on TV predators circling pack of prey animals, trying to identify a weak one.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,342
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
1 members (A C Bowden),
429
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
