2895: Crow and Raven Nov 24, 2024

Crows and ravens are related insofar as both are corvids, but they are different species, but month words share a common root. Both come from the same Proto-Indo-European root *krā-, which is believed to have referred to the sound of the bird’s call. The Old English word for ‘crow’, crāwe, and the Old English word for ‘raven’, hræfn, both evolved from this ancient root, though they developed distinct forms and meanings over time. Interestingly, the shift from the guttural hr- in hræfn to cr- in crāwe mirrors a broader linguistic change where either the [h] morphed into a [k] or dropped entirely. Today, while these birds are distinct species, their etymological roots show how language reflects both the natural world and its evolving interpretations by speakers across generations.