[Lexicog] What is a bat? - natural and unnatural terms

[Thapelo Otlogetswe]

I enjoyed Patrick & Ron's detailed discussion. I never imagined a matter that is seemingly so trivial could engage our minds so extensively!

It would appear that many uneducated people (or even unscientific educated ones) would see a bird's definitive (prototypical) characteristics as feathers, a beak (not sure about this) and flight and ANIMALS as lacking in these. I would suppose that is why in many African cultures that I know of bats would be considered birds mainly because they fly. The fact that they suckle their young and that they do not lay eggs is not common knowledge, I guess mainly because bats are rarely seen in day light and they live in very secluded places. But as we know, flight is not unique to birds - lots of insects fly too. Will we be wrong to suggest that there is a prototypical bird size too?  Robin size. Insects apart from lacking feathers, they are too tiny to be mistaken for birds - and they have too many legs!! A bat however is closer to a prototypical bird size - although it looks like a rat! There are obviously huge birds and small birds & they are classified as birds mainly because they have
 one or both of the characteristics of flying & feathers - a bat flies & an ostrich has feathers & a beak. Penguin is a strange fellow because not only can't he fly, he also swims - a quality which is not very birdy!




Thapelo Otlogetswe
Information Technology Research Institute
University of Brighton
Lewes Road, Brighton
BN2 4GJ, England
Tel: (+44) 1273 642912 (office)
      (+44) 1273 642908 (fax)
http://www.itri.brighton.ac.uk/~Thapelo.Otlogetswe/



		
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