| 词源 |
to coot; old coot. Applied to tortoises, the obsolete verb coot meant “to copulate.” Recorded in 1667, its origin is unknown, but it is responsible for the name of two amorous American turtles commonly called the cooter (Chrysemys concinna). The first recorded use of the word: “The Tortoises . . . coot for four- teen daies together.” The Americanism old coot for a foolish or crotchety old man comes from the name of the coot, a North American rail of the genus Fulica noted for its laugh-like cry. |