why are ants called ants?

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure ants do not call themselves ants.

Answer 2

The name of such insect "ANT" derived from a Middle English word "ANTE"
>>which has an equivalent meaning to the word "EMETE"
>>from an Old English "ÆMETTE"
>>akin to Old High German "ĀMEIZA" or "AMEISE"
>>from the West Germanic term "AMAITJO".

Such word is from a compound of bases *AI = "off, away" + *MAIT= "cut." The given insect's name literally mean"THE BITER" due to their biting ability. Such word originated in 12th century.

Answer 3

why is anything called anything? why aren't computers called daturs?

all organisms have species names based in latin. that's where you get names like homo sapiens. "ant" is probably an easier way of saying whatever the long name for their species is. that probably means something descriptive like "small" or something else characteristic of ants.

but then again, why do those random assortments of letters mean small, etc. it's all kinda arbitrary.

Answer 4

From Old English aemette, meaning "biting thing." Most common short names of things in English came from Old English via German (from the Anglo-Saxon invasion of England).

Answer 5

well this guy once apon a time was having problems with his mothers sister, she was a real pest an bothering everyone in the house, at this same time he found these little bugs in the yard that bit him and made him mad so he called them aunts.

Answer 6

Because if they were uncles they wouldnt be ants

Answer 7

I don't know, its ADAM who named all the animals...what was going through his mind.?....I'd have called them 'Ugly little...annoying... butt biting...beggars.!'