American names for groundhog (was: Latin name for Ground Hog?)
Cameron Laird
James Nestler <nes...@saturn.wwc.edu> wrote:
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.
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>Yep, in this situation one critter has several names: groundhog, woodchuck,
>marmot, Marmota monax. Other Marmota species exist (yellowbelly, hoary,
>olympic). All of these are sciurids, along with prairie dogs, ground
>squirrels, tree squirrels, and chipmunks.
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I'm curious: is there any reader whose idiolect identifies
*Marmota monax* as "marmot"? I know the furry little fellows
as groundhogs, I translate without problem when someone says
woodchuck, and, in academic or pedagogic contexts, I say
something like, "it's a marmot", with a clear notion that
marmot is a higher-order taxon (like "ruminant", or "canid").
As a terminal taxon, "marmot" for me can only mean *M. marmota*,
the alpine marmot.
Incidentally, does anyone know how far along is publication of
the *Dictionary of American Regional English*?
--
Cameron Laird
cla...@Neosoft.com (claird%Neoso...@uunet.uu.net) +1 713 267 7966
cla...@litwin.com (claird%litwi...@uunet.uu.net) +1 713 996 8546
Terry Morse
>From: cla...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM (Cameron Laird)
>Subject: American names for groundhog (was: Latin name for Ground Hog?)
>Date: 28 Jan 1994 09:44:10 -0600
[deletions]
>I'm curious: is there any reader whose idiolect identifies
>*Marmota monax* as "marmot"? I know the furry little fellows
>as groundhogs, I translate without problem when someone says
>woodchuck, and, in academic or pedagogic contexts, I say
>something like, "it's a marmot", with a clear notion that
>marmot is a higher-order taxon (like "ruminant", or "canid").
>As a terminal taxon, "marmot" for me can only mean *M. marmota*,
>the alpine marmot.
[deletions]
Peterson's FG to Mammals, by Burt and Grossenheider, lists "marmot" as a
variant common name for _M. monax_, but doesn't state where it is used.
Since the range of _M. monax_ extends into western Canada ("where a marmot's
a marmot and the woodchucks are nervous" :-) ), perhaps it is extended to
include them there.
>Cameron Laird
--Terry
Terry Morse
mor...@ccmail.orst.edu
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Rick Kitchen
In a previous article, cla...@sugar.NeoSoft.COM (Cameron Laird) says:
>I'm curious: is there any reader whose idiolect identifies
>*Marmota monax* as "marmot"? I know the furry little fellows
>as groundhogs, I translate without problem when someone says
>woodchuck, and, in academic or pedagogic contexts, I say
>something like, "it's a marmot", with a clear notion that
>marmot is a higher-order taxon (like "ruminant", or "canid").
>As a terminal taxon, "marmot" for me can only mean *M. marmota*,
>the alpine marmot.
Until just now, I never knew the two critters were the same thing! Groundhogs
are what come out of the ground and see their shadows on February 2. Marmots
are the roly-poly guys who inhabit Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks.
I never realized they were the same.
--
Rick Kitchen ap...@yfn.ysu.edu
"You're acting like you're in a podiatrist's office and they're going
to do a lobotomy on you or something."
--Eve Saskatchewan, "Black Tie Affair"
eyo...@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
> Peterson's FG to Mammals, by Burt and Grossenheider, lists "marmot" as a
>variant common name for _M. monax_, but doesn't state where it is used.
>[....suggests Canada]
In Edith Fowke's potpourri collection _Folklore of Canada_ a story from
Alberta is reported, which I have always enjoyed. I paraphrase:
A "city-slicker" was going on a camping trip and was obsessed with showing
his veteran guide how quickly city-slickers pick things up and get into the
outdoors life. He never missed an opportunity to demonstrate how rugged he
was prepared to be and how rough he was prepared to live.
One day they saw a marmot.
The city-slicker saw another chance to hone his survival skills. He asked
for directions on how to cook a marmot.
The guide, knowing that a marmot's flesh is too greasy to eat, looked at his
client. Then he said, "Well, first you kill it. Then you have to gut it
and you clean it and skin it. Then you get a big kettle of water and boil
the marmot up in it for an hour. {imagine city-slicker nodding sagely here}
When the hour is up you drain the water out and fill it up again with water
and boil it for another hour. When it's done you take hold of a hind leg
with your hand. You swing it over your head into the bushes and you cut
yourself some bacon for supper."
Ed Young
Mark Beirne Lively
by eyo...@binah.cc.brandeis
> with your hand. You swing it over your head into the bushes and you cut
> yourself some bacon for supper."
>
-Mark
Ted Scott
: >Yep, in this situation one critter has several names: groundhog, woodchuck,
: >olympic). All of these are sciurids, along with prairie dogs, ground
: >squirrels, tree squirrels, and chipmunks.
Are you'ns talking about whistle pigs?
--
-Ted Scott
tsc...@ocsmd.ocs.com I was told that I'm a P.C. person:
(301) 601-2252 Politically Challenged, that is.