[Lexicog] Prototypical bird

[Fritz Goerling]

With a group of Africans from a number of countries to whom
I am teaching semantics for a couple of weeks, I tested today 
what they considered to be a prototypical bird. Two participants 
answered "a sparrow" like most Westeners would do. It was 
interesting to hear from those who did not know the sparrow 
nor choose it.
One said "little bird from the rain-forest", another
one "raven", another one "hawk." While all fulfilled the criteria
for "birdiness" by having a beak, feathers, wings to fly,
laying eggs, the reasons for their choice were cultural,
especially "commonness." Of course, bats were not considered 
by anyone as a bird, as they are mammals and lack most criteria 
of a "bird." One participant said a bat is called in his culture "who is
in no class/category." That adds another interesting name to the
many very different names for bats in different languages already
mentioned on this list (under the thread "What is a bat?").

Fritz Goerling

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