Friday Factoid: The Canary Islands
Welcome to another exciting Friday Factoid!
And today, I'm asking...
"What animal are the Canary Islands named after?"
The answer is DOGS.
Of course.
The Canary Islands were originally named "Insula Canaria". That means the "Isle of Dogs" in Latin, after the large number of both domesticated and wild dogs that lived on the Spanish archipelago.
("Canis" means "dog" in Latin. Think canine.)
The islands were also full of these little yellow finch birds, which later became known as canaries.
So rather than the Canary Islands being named after the birds, the birds were actually named after the dogs that inhabited the islands.
I do not make this stuff up. Interesting, eh?
Happy Friday! :)
Tweety Pie was officially a canary bird.
Honestly.
Labels: factoids
by Karl
2:28 AM
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3 Comments:
Excellent Karl. The islands do still have large populations of canaries. As for the canary naming, I have some more in depth information on this - mixed with myth, legend and other unproven theories - that you or your readers might like to read.
By
Pamela, at
5:02 PM
Interestingly enough, Karlos,
Today we had two wild canaries in our back yard for a few minutes.
Then, I check my e-mail, and find a blog on the Canary Islands.
Love it when this happens.
Helen
By
Helen Jones, at
5:30 PM
You send some very interesting items at times.
There is going to be an election in Scotland next week. This Scottish National Party is going to well according to opinion poles.
That kingdom joined England and Wales in 1707. They had there eyes on this year some years ago as the year to declare independance.
The British system is something preculiar that doesn't exist in any other country in the world. They are not states like states in the U.S.A. or Australia or provinces in Canada.
Yest Scotland ahs a different legal, and education system than England and Wales. I think there is one other system they have that is different too, but I can't re-call now. I shall keep my eyes on the newspapers on friday of next week to see what the results are.
On voting days in Britain, booths are open from 7a.m. to 9p.m. I don't know if that will be the case next thursday in that Kingdom.
If the majority want to sepaprate than they should be allowed to leave.
The inhabitants on the Isle of Mann never have been represented in Westminster. Likewise the inhabitants of the four channel islands. That is a peculiar situation. I don't know how that goes re their relationship of the E.U.
Sorry to trouble you. Yours sincerely
Henry Hall
By
henry hall, at
11:36 PM
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