[Ads-l] Horse creature

[Laurence Horn]

On Nov 7, 2014, at 5:20 AM, Michael Quinion wrote:

> Thanks to everyone who has put forward suggestions. 
> 
> Dan Goncharoff's comment about technical distinctions in horse culture and 
> Joel Berson's pointer to an old usage of "Horse, Mare or Gelding" prompted 
> me to check the OED's entry for "horse" (duh). This confirms that usage by 
> noting that "horse" was commonly used to refer specifically to an adult 
> male horse. 
> 
> So "horse creature" or "horse beast" could have been a generic or formal 
> term that encompassed every animal of the horse species. That would 
> explain why it frequently occurs in legal records and advertisements. 
> 
So "horse" for what's now 'stallion'?  Presumably colts were also excluded from "horse" strictu sensu.

LH

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