Deer

[pne]

I used to think that English deer = German Reh.

However, apparently English deer = German Hirsch, and German Reh is specifically English roe deer. (English red deer, for example, is a German Rothirsch.)

Ah well; I was never very good at telling apart all those antlery animals in the first place, in any language.

Then you have elk meaning something different on both sides of the Atlantic: in North America it's a German Wapiti, while in Europe it's what Americans call a moose and Germans an Elch. Confusion!

Comments

[sparkofcreation.livejournal.com]

So what do Europeans call an elk? In English, I mean.

[pne.livejournal.com]

"wapiti", according to Wikipedia.

[pne.livejournal.com]

In other words, German and UK English appear to use the same word for the animal.

[denial-land.livejournal.com]

Until recently, I always thought Hirsch is the male Reh. Turns out they are different, and the counterparts are Hirschkuh and Rehbock, respectively. The more you know!

[elgrande.livejournal.com]

I thought so until I read pne's entry.