Bears may have been early Voldemorts (1 Viewer)

[Ahsoka]

In Europe, it’s believed that 3 language groups (Germanic, Slavic, and Baltic) have words for bears that are from a different root than the original. It’s thought that this stems from people’s unwillingness in the past to use the real name for fear of invoking the bears wrath. Kind of like Voldemort in Harry Potter. The Germanic word comes from the word brown, the Slavic one from the word honey eater, and the Baltic from the word shaggy.

 

[Ahsoka]

Language taglist:
@athenarose @Lexie @Nyaz @Dreamer_of_Songs @Nina @velvet @ChuuAntics @MyLovelyLove @alo @eclipsoul @sick @Moguri @uran @BadderLove1015

 

[uran]

i feel learned

 

[dark_tranquility]

the better you know

 

[Selfmate]

the better you know

you mean the BEARtter you know

 

[Vikki]

Wow!

 

[Moguri]

so the original words are even lost..?

 

[Ahsoka]

so the original words are even lost..?

Some language families in southern Europe (like the romance languages) still use what is believed to have evolved from the original Proto-Indo-European word for bear, such as ursa in Latin. It’s likely that Germanic and Slavic languages were using a word that comes from that root also, at least at some point before the word became taboo. I’m not sure if etymologists have figured out the exact word they used though, and the Proto-Indo-European root is also constructed of course rather than being definitely used by the original group of people who spoke it.

 

[dark_tranquility]

you mean the BEARtter you know

simply put No