Questions from a 4 year old

[banditgin]

We were sitting and watching our chickens the other day and I was explaining to my 4 year old that we have two females and they are called hens and two males and they are called roosters. And she asked me why. And since I don't know, I figured I'd come on here and ask.

So, why are females called hens and males called roosters?

 

[BeckyLa]

Cuz Mom said so, that's why....

 

[missusduray]

Because if they didnt have different names, how would we know which were the boys and which were the girls.
Kristyne

 

[lurky]

Yeah........what she said

 

[LynnGrigg]

I got this by searching for word origins...
It wasn't exactly exciting like some word origins can be. Anyway...

HEN: In its earliest form, this word was an ancient German word, khanon, meaning "a male fowl" or "rooster". Khanon gradually developed a feminine version, khannjo, which spawned modern words for a female chicken in several languages: "hen" (English), henne (German), höna (Swedish), and høne (Danish). In most of these -- English being the exception -- a masculine version of the word also arose to refer to "male chickens". In English, "rooster" serves this purpose, a simple derivation of the verb "to roost".

 

[sunnychooks]

Wow... try explaining THAT to a 4 year old.

 

[lacyloo]

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

Because the Rock said so!