Hummel

/ˈhʌməl/ noun

Definition

A bumblebee, particularly in Scottish and Northern English dialect; also refers to a naturally polled (without horns) cow.

Etymology

From Middle Low German 'hommel' or Dutch 'hommel', related to Old English 'hum' (the sound). The word originally imitated the bee's sound, and expanded to describe any bee.

Kelly Says

The word 'hummel' is an onomatopoeia that actually travels through multiple languages—it imitates the buzzing sound a bumblebee makes, and different cultures kept the same sound-word even when they developed differently from Old English.

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