zoonym

A zoonym is a name used in human language to refer to an animal. Zoonyms encompass common or vernacular names for species (dog, lion), collective or generic terms for animals (deer, fish), and nicknames or familiar appellations for individual animals. They are distinct from scientific names used in taxonomy (the binomial nomenclature) and from biological classifications.

Zoonyms arise from various linguistic processes: historical tradition, descriptive features, cultural associations, folklore, and loanwords from other languages. They can be regionally specific, leading to regional variants (for example, different names for the common house cat). They can also form from descriptive cues or observed behavior, rather than formal naming schemes.

In linguistics, zoonyms are studied under zoonymy or related branches within onomastics and ethnolinguistics, focusing on how human cultures name animals and how those names reflect perceptions, uses, and relationships with animals. The analysis may include semantic fields, metaphorical extensions, and the evolution of names across languages.

Examples illustrate diversity across languages and cultures. For instance, English commonly uses dog or cat, while other languages retain distinct terms or borrowings for various familiar animals. Zoonyms thus illuminate the interaction between language, culture, and the natural world.