Name for a badger's home? (sett / burrow / ...)
Philip 'Yes, that's my address' Newton
An acquaintance asked me this recently, and I wasn't sure (his family
name means "badger" in English). The first word that came to my mind was
"set".
A web search for likely candidates revealed quite a few hits for
"badger's set", "badger's sett", "badger's den" (which we had both
assumed would be incorrect), "badger hole" (or "badger-hole"), and
"badger burrow".
What is the traditional British countryside word for this?
What is the most common name today? Is there a preferred word?
Cheers,
Philip
Andy Averill
... the solitary grey Badger, who lived his own life by himself, in his hole
in the middle of the Wild Wood.
--
Andy Averill
Fairfield, Iowa
email: andya at lisco dot com
"Philip 'Yes, that's my address' Newton" <nospam...@gmx.li> wrote in
message news:3934FD0E...@gmx.li...
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Murray Arnow
> What's the name for a badger's home?
> An acquaintance asked me this recently, and I wasn't sure (his family
> name means "badger" in English). The first word that came to my mind was
> "set".
> A web search for likely candidates revealed quite a few hits for
> "badger's set", "badger's sett", "badger's den" (which we had both
> assumed would be incorrect), "badger hole" (or "badger-hole"), and
> "badger burrow".
> What is the traditional British countryside word for this?
> What is the most common name today? Is there a preferred word?
The word is set or sett.
Benjamin Krefetz
> In article <3934FD0E...@gmx.li>, Philip 'Yes, that's my address'
> Newton <nospam...@gmx.li> wrote:
>> What's the name for a badger's home?
>>
>> An acquaintance asked me this recently, and I wasn't sure (his family
>> name means "badger" in English). The first word that came to my mind was
>> "set".
>>
>> A web search for likely candidates revealed quite a few hits for
>> "badger's set", "badger's sett", "badger's den" (which we had both
>> assumed would be incorrect), "badger hole" (or "badger-hole"), and
>> "badger burrow".
>>
>> What is the traditional British countryside word for this?
> Sett.
For the record, AHD2 doesn't allow the second 't' at all, and MW10 lists it as
a variant of "set".
Ben
Matti Lamprhey
> What's the name for a badger's home?
>
> An acquaintance asked me this recently, and I wasn't sure (his family
> name means "badger" in English). The first word that came to my mind was
> "set".
>
> A web search for likely candidates revealed quite a few hits for
> "badger's set", "badger's sett", "badger's den" (which we had both
> assumed would be incorrect), "badger hole" (or "badger-hole"), and
> "badger burrow".
>
> What is the traditional British countryside word for this?
>
I've always seen it as "sett". There are plenty of setts on the common land
around my home, and the badgers often play on our lawn in the late evenings.
Matti
Padraig Breathnach
>What's the name for a badger's home?
>
I had a discussion with Fergus, my local broc, about this. He informs me
that he lives in a sett. He is more likely to refer to it as "home", as in
"I am on my way home".
PB
Matti Lamprhey
news:8h3c6n$5u4$1...@news.fas.harvard.edu...
> So gry...@ozemail.dotcom.dotau was all like:
> >> name means "badger" in English). The first word that came to my mind
was
> >> "set".
> >>
> >> A web search for likely candidates revealed quite a few hits for
> >> "badger's set", "badger's sett", "badger's den" (which we had both
> >> assumed would be incorrect), "badger hole" (or "badger-hole"), and
> >> "badger burrow".
> >>
> >> What is the traditional British countryside word for this?
>
>
> For the record, AHD2 doesn't allow the second 't' at all, and MW10 lists
it as
> a variant of "set".
I think we're agreed that the specific word (as distinct from the generic
ones like "hole", "den", "burrow") is set/sett. NSOED, in giving 75 senses
for the word, regards the spellings as simple variants of each other, but
indicates that the "sett" spelling is more common for the following
meanings:
1. a squared paving stone
2. the squares in a tartan pattern
3. the adjustment of the reeds in a loom
4. the earth or burrow of a badger
5. a tool or device used for setting.
So "sett" it is. Leftpondian dictionaries should be adjusted accordingly.
Matti
M.J.Powell
<ar...@iname.com> writes
>Philip 'Yes, that's my address' Newton <nospam...@gmx.li> wrote:
>> What's the name for a badger's home?
>
>> An acquaintance asked me this recently, and I wasn't sure (his family
>> name means "badger" in English). The first word that came to my mind was
>> "set".
>
>> A web search for likely candidates revealed quite a few hits for
>> "badger's set", "badger's sett", "badger's den" (which we had both
>> assumed would be incorrect), "badger hole" (or "badger-hole"), and
>> "badger burrow".
>
>> What is the traditional British countryside word for this?
>
>
Which also means something like a cobblestone.
Mike
--
M.J.Powell
James Follett
nospam...@gmx.li
"Philip 'Yes, that's my address' Newton" wrote:
>What's the name for a badger's home?
Set or sett. Sett is the more common and is the Microsoft Standard English
term.
--
James Follett -- novelist http://www.davew.demon.co.uk
gry...@ozemail.dotcom.dotau
Newton <nospam...@gmx.li> wrote:
> What's the name for a badger's home?
>
> An acquaintance asked me this recently, and I wasn't sure (his family
> name means "badger" in English). The first word that came to my mind was
> "set".
>
> A web search for likely candidates revealed quite a few hits for
> "badger's set", "badger's sett", "badger's den" (which we had both
> assumed would be incorrect), "badger hole" (or "badger-hole"), and
> "badger burrow".
>
> What is the traditional British countryside word for this?
Sett.
> What is the most common name today? Is there a preferred word?
>
> Cheers,
> Philip
Brian.
Philip 'Yes, that's my address' Newton
<ma...@polka.bikini> wrote:
> 4. the earth or burrow of a badger
Ah yes, another strange word. Came across this when I looked up "Bau" in
a German-English dictionary -- it gave "(fox, badger) earth". I've never
come across "badger's earth" for its home, though.
Compact ed. of the OED has "earth" for "the hole or hiding-place of a
burrowing animal, as a badger, fox, etc.)".
Cheers,
Philip
--
Philip Newton <nospam...@gmx.li>
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Philip 'Yes, that's my address' Newton
<ma...@polka.bikini> wrote:
> I think we're agreed that the specific word (as distinct from the generic
> ones like "hole", "den", "burrow") is set/sett.
I wonder whether knowledge of words such as this mark(ed) out someone's
range of education? Similar to knowing that it's a "pride" of lions,
etc.? Knowing the specific word for all sorts of different animal's
young, housing, and groups of them?
> NSOED,
What's that stand for? Something Something Oxford English Dictionary, I
presume?
> in giving 75 senses
> for the word, regards the spellings as simple variants of each other, but
> indicates that the "sett" spelling is more common for the following
> meanings:
> 1. a squared paving stone
> 2. the squares in a tartan pattern
> 3. the adjustment of the reeds in a loom
> 4. the earth or burrow of a badger
> 5. a tool or device used for setting.
Interesting. The Compact Edition of the OED that I have
(photographically reduced) has "sett" as the usual spelling for 1 2 3 5
above, but not for 4. Strange. It also has "sett" for:
6. A form of power used by shipwrights
7. The area of ground worked by a particular mining company (chiefly
Cornwall)
and as a "sometimes spelt" form for the tennis sense (six games).
> So "sett" it is.
Thank you very much, everyone for your answers! I think I'll go with
"sett", then.
> Leftpondian dictionaries should be adjusted accordingly.
Indeed.
> Matti
Is that a Finnish name? It doesn't look particularly British to me.
Matti Lamprhey
> "Matti Lamprhey" <ma...@polka.bikini> wrote:
>
> > NSOED,
>
> What's that stand for? Something Something Oxford English Dictionary, I
> presume?
New Shorter. "Who needs length when you've got shortness like that?" as the
aromathe-
rapist said to the actuary in the red E-type.
Overheard in /le Shuttle/:
"I began to suspect she wasn't a real aromatherapist when she opened the
jars with her mouth."
> > Matti
>
> Is that a Finnish name? It doesn't look particularly British to me.
I believe you may be right, Phil.
Matti