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

[Peter Kirk]

On 16/08/2004 13:20, Mike Maxwell wrote:

>Thapelo Otlogetswe wrote:
> > Penguin is a strange fellow because not only can't he fly,
> > he also swims - a quality which is not very birdy!
>
>I think what is odd about a penguin is mostly that he can't fly.  Lots
>of flying birds also swim, including ducks and geese, and some flying
>birds travel substantial distances underwater, like loons and some
>seabirds.  I may be wrong, but I would guess such birds are considered
>almost as birdy as perching birds.
>
>
>
But can all water birds, apart from penguins, actually fly? Certainly
some fly very poorly and rarely. And then there are plenty of birds
which don't fly at all, not only strange ones like ostriches but common
ones like chickens. I wonder, does any language consider a chicken not
to be a bird?

--
Peter Kirk
peter at qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk at qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/




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