Meaning of "scarecrow" in different languages

South Korean   Sat Nov 28, 2009 7:55 pm GMT
While I was working on my French vocabulary, I found out that the French word of scarecrow(epouvantail) is associated with the word "terrify"(epouvanter).

The Japanese word for scarecrow, Kakashi, derives from Kagashi, which referred to the act of burning hair or fish heads to create nasty smell which would repel the birds. The word remained in usage, despite the change in pronunciation, even after this act was replaced by installing a scarecrow.

The origin of the Korean word for scarecrow, Heosu Abi, is still debated. "Abi" is an old Korean word for "father"(Abbeoji in modern Korean) or "man," and "Heosu" might refer to something like "fake" "makeshift" etc.

I find it interesting that different languages call what is essentially the same thing by totally different names. How is scarecrow named in other languages?
SC   Sat Nov 28, 2009 8:00 pm GMT
Spanish: Espantapajaros (Espata + Pajaros | Scare + Birds)
daveyboy   Sat Nov 28, 2009 8:01 pm GMT
In spanish it is espanta pajaros ... in english its worzel gummage..lol..
Baldewin   Sat Nov 28, 2009 8:02 pm GMT
Dutch: vogelverschrikker (vogel: bird | verschrikker: "scarer")
Antimooner K. T.   Sat Nov 28, 2009 8:49 pm GMT
"Scarecrow" also means a very thin person in English. In German it's "eine Vogelscheuche".
stéphane   Sun Nov 29, 2009 12:22 am GMT
épouvantail (fr)

espaurugal (oc), from « espaurugar » , to frighten, to alarm
espavental (oc), esparnal (oc), esparnèl (oc), from « espaventar » , to terrify
I-Juca Pirama   Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:51 am GMT
"Espantalho" in Portuguese, it's a cognate of the French épouvantail. Comes from 'espantar': to frighten, to amaze, to drive away, to scare away.
rep   Sun Nov 29, 2009 1:53 pm GMT
Swedish: fågelskrämma- fågel-bird,krämma-custard,cream
Norwegian (bokmål)‬-fugleskremsel fugl-bird,kremsel-cream.
junt   Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:39 pm GMT
Spaventapasseri

Passero does not mean bird in Italian but sparrow
PARISIEN   Sun Nov 29, 2009 4:12 pm GMT
<< Swedish: fågelskrämma- fågel-bird,krämma-custard,cream >>

-- Bad pun...

Of course "skrämma" means "to frighten", "to scare"
opinion   Sun Nov 29, 2009 4:35 pm GMT
<<Norwegian (bokmål)‬-fugleskremsel fugl-bird,kremsel-cream.>>
"Skremsel" means " frighten", "intimidate", "scare".
Esteve   Sun Nov 29, 2009 4:40 pm GMT
Catalan: Espantall.
opinion   Sun Nov 29, 2009 7:19 pm GMT
Galego:espantallo
jojo   Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:45 pm GMT
tagalog: panakot ng ibon

pan (prefix, "for the use or intent of") + akot (root word, "takot" - fright, fear) + ng (of) + ibon (bird)
Por la gloria de Atenea   Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:47 am GMT
<<pan (prefix, "for the use or intent of") + akot (root word, "takot" - fright, fear) + ng (of) + ibon (bird)

>>

Interesting. Is tagalog an agglutinative language?