Bear Means the Animal and Also to Carry
A bear is a large mammal, and to bear is to carry or endure. The two words are unrelated.
A bear is a large heavy mammal, and to bear is to carry, support or endure. The animal's name is a euphemism: the original Indo-European word for bear appears to have been avoided by northern peoples who feared that naming the animal would summon it, so Germanic languages substituted a description meaning the brown one. Greek *arktos* and Latin *ursus* preserve the original word; English does not. *Arctic* means the place of the bear, from the constellation.
- A large mammal. *A brown bear.*
- To carry. *Bear the weight.*
- To endure. *Bear the pain.*
- Arctic — the bear's region. *The Arctic.*
- Old English — *bera*, the brown one. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | bear | A bear. |
| Verb | bear | Bear it. |
| Past | bore | Bore. |
| Participle | borne | Borne. |
| Greek | arktos | A bear. |
- A bear crossed the river.Animal.
- The beam bears the load.Carry.
- Arctic means of the bear.Etymology.
The name-avoidance theory
- Germanic replaced the old word with one meaning the brown one
- Slavic used a word meaning honey-eater
- Greek arktos and Latin ursus kept the original
- Arctic comes from arktos, the bear constellation
- Antarctic means opposite the bear, since the constellation is not visible there
The animal is Old English *bera*, probably meaning the brown one. The verb is Old English *beran*, to carry.
Why is the bear called the brown one?
Northern peoples appear to have avoided the original name out of fear of summoning the animal, and substituted a descriptive word.
Why is the Arctic named after a bear?
From Greek arktos, a bear, referring to the constellation Ursa Major that marks the northern sky.