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Why does the scientific name of the grizzly bear contain the word "horribilis"?

Question #127765. Asked by tigasrule.
Last updated May 14 2021.
Originally posted Nov 13 2012 8:21 AM.

Related Trivia Topics: Sci / Tech   Linguistics   Vocabulary   Name Game  
euab
Answer has 8 votes
euab
16 year member
101 replies

Answer has 8 votes.
Both "ursus" and "arctos" mean "bear"--"ursus" in Latin, "arctos" in Greek. And yes, "horribilis" is the Latin root of the English "horrible." "Ursus arctos" is simply the brown bear, which is found in North America, Asia, and Europe--the double name may imply that it, of all bears, is the true and archetypal bear. (Similarly, the scientific name for the horse, "equus caballus," uses two words meaning the same animal, in this case the first from classical Latin and the second from late or Vulgar Latin. The donkey, being a related and horselike animal, is designated "equus asinus.") "Grizzly," spelled this way, means grey or grizzled and refers to the particular strain of u. a. with that coloring, but the word "horribilis" may suggest an association with "grisly" as well.
Ursus is Latin for bear
Arctos is Greek for... bear
Horribilis is Latin for horrible (or 'horrible' is the English derivative of the older Horribilis)
Ursus Arctos is the Brown Bear
Ursus Arctos Horribilis is the Horrible Brown Bear, or Grizzly Bear
Source(s):
link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_bear
link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_bear#Meaning_of_"grizzly"

Response last updated by CmdrK on May 14 2021.
Nov 13 2012, 8:38 AM
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boxjaw star
Answer has 6 votes
boxjaw star
18 year member
24 replies avatar

Answer has 6 votes.
Naturalist George Ord misinterpreted the word "grizzly" which meant the grizzled look of the hair of the species. He thought it meant "grisly". He used the latter word to form part of the latin name "Ursus arctos horribilis".

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_bear

link http://seapics.com/feature-subject/bears/grizzly-bear-pictures-001.html

Nov 13 2012, 8:43 AM
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tadpoles_uk star
Answer has 9 votes
Currently Best Answer
tadpoles_uk star
16 year member
104 replies avatar

Answer has 9 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
Horribilis designates the grizzly bear as a sub-species of brown bear. Ursus arctos refers generically to any brown bear.
link https://denverzoo.org/animals/grizzly-bear/

Per this next link, the Latin horribilis did not mean horrible, but dreadful was closer to the actual meaning.
link http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/23/magazine/23ONLANGUAGE.html

So, the classification of a grizzly bear describes a brown bear that can scare the bejesus out of you. Imagine a 9-ft tall, 800 pound meat-eater chasing after you at 30 mph...

Response last updated by CmdrK on May 14 2021.
Nov 13 2012, 8:46 AM
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