Trivia
Mar 1st 2021, 9:59 am
#1
Started off with nothing
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 4,946
Trivia
Spain literally means "the land of the rabbits"
Mar 1st 2021, 1:02 pm
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: Halfway between Ricard & Absynthe
Posts: 4,291
Re: Trivia
Did you get that from a Christmas cracker or a Chinese fortune cookie? 
In fact the origin of the word is still highly debated. Indeed the modern name 'Spain' is derived from the latin Hispania - the Roman name for the Iberian peninsula.
One theory for the name Hispania suggests 'Island of the hyrax' (European rabbit); or derived from the Phoenician 'span' meaning hidden, i.e remote or far-distant land.
So even amongst etymologists, the jury is still out.
So the next time you bite into a fortune cookie, question what you may have just eaten. It may have been rabbit, or something worse.......
In fact the origin of the word is still highly debated. Indeed the modern name 'Spain' is derived from the latin Hispania - the Roman name for the Iberian peninsula.
One theory for the name Hispania suggests 'Island of the hyrax' (European rabbit); or derived from the Phoenician 'span' meaning hidden, i.e remote or far-distant land.
So even amongst etymologists, the jury is still out.
So the next time you bite into a fortune cookie, question what you may have just eaten. It may have been rabbit, or something worse.......
Spoiler:
Last edited by Tweedpipe; Mar 1st 2021 at 1:08 pm.
Mar 1st 2021, 1:52 pm
#3
Started off with nothing
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 4,946
Re: Trivia
Thanks for your contribution. 
