A beast, the lusetan or ounce?

[Jim Parish]

Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
> So it would follow that "ounces" is a possible misprint/scanning error
> for "lynces"/"linces".

Webster's Third New International identifies "ounce" as an archaic word
for any of several medium-sized wildcats. (It suggests that it arose from
re-interpreting the "l" in "lyncea" - or one of its derivatives - as the
French definite article.)

Jim Parish

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