Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/04/27

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: Oak Titmouse
From: douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp)
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:31:04 +0200
References: <12270921.1240783060703.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rubis.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <E00BF73A27864479A069FD382A3E54B2@MARC> <C567C0FC-16B7-44BA-87EC-867260ACE156@shaw.ca>

The mouse bit probably originates from the German (and Old German) Meise 
- (the modern German name for birds of this family).  The similar word 
"Meisje" in Dutch (IIRR) is used as a word for small girls.

The smallness part is also still expressed in words like "titch", 
"titchy" and "titbit". The smaller (in height) members of our school 
classes in Yorkshire
always got lumbered with the nickname Titch.

Douglas


John Collier wrote:
> tit    [tit] ,
> ?noun
> 1.
> a titmouse.
> 2.
> any of various other small birds.
> 3.
> Archaic. a girl or young woman; hussy.
> 4.
> Archaic. a small or poor horse; nag.
> Origin:
> 1540?50; repr. ME tite- (in titemose titmouse ); c. Norw titetitmouse; 
> akin to ON tittr tack, pin.
>
>
>
> On 26-Apr-09, at 4:28 PM, Marc Dufour wrote:
>
>> From: "Doug Herr"
>>
>>
>>> The Oak Titmouse is a member of family Paridae which inludes 
>>> Chickadees and Tits (where the name came from I won't try to guess)
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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In reply to: Message from wildlightphoto at earthlink.net (Doug Herr) ([Leica] IMG: Oak Titmouse)
Message from foto at marcdufour.net (Marc Dufour) ([Leica] IMG: Oak Titmouse)
Message from jbcollier at shaw.ca (John Collier) ([Leica] IMG: Oak Titmouse)