Re: Re[4]: [tied] Latin -idus as from dH- too

But Brian, ask yourself if it does not mean 'animal teat', why it is
"contemptuous".

'snout' for 'mouth', 'paws' for 'hands': it is a pretty general pattern.


Patrick

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...>
To: "Patrick Ryan" <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 8:36 PM
Subject: Re[4]: [tied] Latin -idus as from dH- too


> At 7:03:30 PM on Monday, March 17, 2008, Patrick Ryan wrote:
>
> > A 'dug' is an _animal_ teat, Rick.
>
> Not true until relatively recently.
>
> OED: 'The pap or udder of female mammalia; also the teat or
> nipple; usually in reference to suckling. As applied to a
> woman's breast, now contemptuous.' The earliest citation is
> from Palsgrave (1530): 'Tete, pappe, or dugge, a womans
> brest.' It's apparently not attested before the 16th
> century, and the etymology is unknown.
>
> <Teat> (OE <tit(t)>) originally applied to human teats, but
> at least by the time of Trevisa and Chaucer it was applied
> to other female mammals. The same goes for <pap>, except
> that it isn't attested until the Ormulum (~1200).
>
> Brian
>
>
>