The Horse-Chestnut

Abstract

I SAW to-day in the last number of NATURE, a letter on the meaning of the word horse-chestnut. As I do not see NATURE regularly, I do not know whether any of your correspondents have called your attention to the similar use of ίππos in composition. In case this should have escaped them, I send the following extract from Liddell and Scott:—

“ίππos, vi., in Compos.; it expressed anything large or coarse, as in our horse-chestnut, horse-laugh; v. ίππó-κρημνos, -μάραθρoν, -σɛλινoν, -ɛφiα, -πorνos; cf. βo-.”