De Canibus Britannicis: Of Englishe DoggesCaius, John
Science
De Canibus Britannicis: Of Englishe Dogges
Caius, John
Dogs -- Early works to 1800
After such as serue for hunting orderly doe follow such as serue for
hawking and fowling, Among which the principall and chiefest is the
Spaniell, called in Latine _Hispaniolus_, borrowing his name of
_Hispania_ Spaine, wherein wee Englishe men not pronouncing the
Aspiration H, Nor the _Vowell_ I, for quicknesse and redinesse of
speach say roundly A Spaniell.
Of the Setter.
[Index.] Secundus Index, quem nostri a Setter nominare solent,
a verbo sette, quod locum designare nostris Britannis significat.
The second sort of this second diuision and second section,
is called a Setter, in latine _Index_, Of the worde Set which
signifieth in Englishe that which the Latinistes meane by this word
_Locum designare_, y^e reason is rehersed before more largely, it
shall not neede to make a new repetition.
Of the water Spaniell or Finder.
[Aquaticus.] Post hunc subsequitur aquaticus, hoc est a
Waterspainel, a vocibus Water & Spaine (hoc est aqua & Hispania)
deducto nomine. Nam aqua, in qua se exercet canis iste, Water; &
Hispania (unde primum genus hoc tractum ex nomine creditur) Spaine
apud nostros vocitatur.
The water Spaniell consequently followeth, called in Latine
Aquaticus, in English a waterspaniell, which name is compounde of
two simple wordes, namely Water, which in Latine soũdeth _Aqua_,
wherein he swymmeth. And _Spaine_, _Hispania_, the country frõ
whence they came,
Non quòd isti canes non sint etiam nativi in Britannia, sed quòd
generale & commune nomen canum, qui ex Hispania primò profecti
putantur, istæ canum species (ut & cæteri Aucupatorii) adhuc vulgo
referunt, etsi in Britannia oriantur, & peculiari aliqua vocis nota,
aut qualitatis indicio secernantur apud nos; ut est ista species
vocis Water, hoc est aquæ, appositione.
Not that England wanted such kinde of Dogges, (for they are
naturally bred and ingendred in this country.) But because they
beare the generall and common name of these Dogges synce the time
they were first brought ouer out of Spaine. And wee make a certaine
difference in this sort of Dogges, eyther for some thing which in
theyr voyce is to be marked, or for some thing which in their
qualities is to be considered, as for an example in this kinde
called the Spaniell by the apposition and putting to of this word
water, which two coupled together sounde waterspaniell.
[Inquisitor.] Alio etiam nomine a Finder canis iste appellatur, quòd
quærendo invenit res deperditas, quæ res nostris, fynde, hoc est
invenire, dicitur. Nos tamen ab inquirendo latinum nomen huic
fecimus, quòd præcipua pars inventionis in inquirendo est.
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