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

[Mike Maxwell]

Ron Moe wrote:
> But to get back to bats. The reason why there are stories about the bat not
> knowing where he belongs is because we don't know where he belongs either.

My initial reaction to stories about bats not knowing where they
belonged was that it had to do with the way they flew--insectivorous
bats tend to fly around in circles.  (At least the ones I've observed
do, which are mostly in temperate climes.  I don't imagine fructivorous
bats do that.)

Other insectivorous flying animals--so far as I know, that would only be
birds, in particular swallows where I live--also do a lot of looping.  I
suppose if my guess were right, places that have stories about bats not
knowing where they belong might also have stories about insectivorous
birds not knowing where they belong.  (And fruit-eating bats might be
exempted from the charge.)  OTOH, swallows frequently return to their
nexts, while bats don't go back until dawn.  (Not sure about nursing
mothers.)

Then again, the origin of the stories might have gotten conventionalized
over time, obscuring their origin.  I'd be pretty hard pressed to say
why owls are wise in the stories of our (my) culture, or foxes sly, or
Eagles brave.
--
	Mike Maxwell
	Linguistic Data Consortium
	maxwell at ldc.upenn.edu


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