It has one horn, as the name implies. Not one corn. What's with that??
2006-08-06 13:19:10 · 9 answers · asked by Uncle Heinrich the Great 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
The word cornus is an old word for horn.
unicorn
c.1225, from O.Fr. unicorne, from L.L. unicornus (Vulgate), from noun use of L. unicornis (adj.) "having one horn," from uni- "one" (see uni-) + cornus "horn" (see horn). The L.L. word translates Gk. monoceros, itself rendering Heb. re'em, which was probably a kind of wild ox. According to Pliny, a creature with a horse's body, deer's head, elephant's feet, lion's tail, and one black horn two cubits long projecting from its forehead. Cf. Ger. Einhorn, Welsh ungorn, Bret. uncorn, O.C.S. ino-rogu.
2006-08-06 13:25:40 · answer #1 · answered by Peter Boiter Woods 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cornu was the root Indo-European word for Horn. It came down,through Latin primarily, into many words in English today. Aside from Unicorn, there's Cornucopia - Horn of Plenty and Cornet - musical Horn
2006-08-06 13:43:47 · answer #2 · answered by dollhaus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah this was in our stupid SRA Spelling books in school. Makes no sense. We had to learn the words for different words in other languages, and all I remember was that corn used to mean horn too long ago. The problem was that after that every time someone said something was corny, stuff just wasn't right..
2006-08-06 14:44:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Corn is actually latin for horn, UNI is also Latin for one. Many names that are common to animals bot mythical and actual are derived from latin, or european origin.
Longhorn beetles on french for instance are called LONGICORN
meaning Long Horn...this is another example of how there is a European influence on many names.
2006-08-07 02:38:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try to pronounce unique horn properly..... that's it, it sounds like unicorn :)
2006-08-06 23:36:20 · answer #5 · answered by myurdabayrak 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Thats a good question yeah it would make more sence if it was unihorn.
Its like for example the sea lion, why is it called that when it looks nothing like a lion.
2006-08-06 15:03:58 · answer #6 · answered by Tennis_Ace 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It lives life on the edge and it does what it wants
2014-08-01 07:46:27 · answer #7 · answered by Charlotte 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It makes no sense to me either...
2006-08-06 14:59:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
that the name given to them idk
2006-08-06 13:23:28 · answer #9 · answered by idontkno 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋