> On 29 Mar 2020, at 20:05, mike wilson <m.9.wil...@ntlworld.com> wrote: > > >> On 29 March 2020 at 19:56 Paul Stenquist <pnstenqu...@comcast.net> wrote: >> >> >> While I may be on lockdown, I still have my backyard to keep me entertained. >> Today saw a pair of Titmice (Titmouses??) and a Robin. > > Titmeeses, surely. > >> https://www.photo.net/photo/18591030/Titmouse-1 >> https://www.photo.net/photo/18591031/Titmouse-2 >> https://www.photo.net/photo/18591029/American-Robin > >
According to Chambers: "titmouse /titˈmows/ (Spenser titmose /-mōs/) noun (pl titmice /titˈmīs/) A tit, any of various kinds of small active acrobatic bird of several genera, esp, formerly, of the genus Parus ORIGIN: tit and ME mose titmouse, from OE māse; Ger Meise; confused with mouse [Chambers Dictionary (iOS) © Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd.]" And Meise, Meisen is German for, er, titmouse... If you're wondering where the tit* came from, look no further than Iceland - titr is Icelandic for, er, titmouse. How that got into English I don't know, unless via Danish. *ooh, no, titter ye not! -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
