In a message dated 1/30/2016 4:59:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
jejunejesuit.geary2@xxxxxxxxx writes:
But what kind of eggs? That's what I want to know.
Oddly, etymologically, 'egg' means 'bird' (or 'bird' means 'egg' if you
prefer). So, either people are using 'egg' figuratively to mean 'bird', or
people are using 'bird' figuratively to mean 'egg'.
The old spelling was "egge" (with the '-e' pronounced, as Geary, who knows
his Chaucer, will agree).
It's not Anglo-Saxon, though. But a borrowing (never returned, though) from
Old Norse "egg".
Ultimately, 'egg' is from Proto-Germanic *ajja(m), as the cognates in Old
Saxon, Middle Dutch, Dutch, Old High German, German ei, Gothic ada) show.
It was probably from PIE *owyo-/*oyyo- "egg", as it cognates corroborate in
Old Church Slavonic aja, Russian jajco, Breton ui, Welsh wy, Greek oon,
Latin ovum)
Skeat notes that 'egg' is possibly derived (that is he KNEW) from root
*awi- "bird."
Aristotle, as quoted by Diogenes, mentions Socrates in this regard, on the
use of 'first' and 'or': what comes first, the egg or the chicken.
Thus, Aristotle:
"If there has been a first man he must have been born without father or
mother – which is repugnant to nature."
"For there could not have been a first egg to give a beginning to birds, or
there should have been a first bird which gave a beginning to eggs; for a
bird comes from an egg."
Cheers,
Speranza
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