[Lexicog] Prototypical bird

[Fritz Goerling]

David,

 

You are never at a loss for a pun. Good one!

 

Fritz

 

Bats just lack class.

--David T

Fritz Goerling wrote: 

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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