Aesop: Crow and raven (question)

meisenimverbis

Civis Illustris

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Location:
Rio de Janeiro
I've been trying to find out about the difference between a crow and a raven, that appears in a fable. Can anyone help?

:think: I've found that there is, apparently, two words (in Latin) for crow/raven, which are corvus and cornix, but which is which, or are even these two the ones that are different animals? (What about in Greek though?)

Thanks to stop by this thread, if you did. :hat:
 
 

Bestiola

Nequissima

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  • Sacerdos Isidis

I've been trying to find out about the difference between a crow and a raven, that appears in a fable. Can anyone help?

:think: I've found that there is, apparently, two words (in Latin) for crow/raven, which are corvus and cornix, but which is which, or are even these two the ones that are different animals? (What about in Greek though?)

Thanks to stop by this thread, if you did. :hat:
Hmmm corvus is the name of the whole genus of the birds in the corvidae family, and includes crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers.

There are several species of crows and ravens that were in ancient and modern Greece; there is corvus cornix (the hooded crow), perhaps he meant that one, perhaps not.

 

meisenimverbis

Civis Illustris

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Location:
Rio de Janeiro
He says that one brings omens of the gods, the other doesn't, and people don't care about what it sings.
 

Clemens

Aedilis

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Location:
Maine, United States.
Hmmm corvus is the name of the whole genus of the birds in the corvidae family, and includes crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers.
Corvus being the name of a genus rather than a specific bird is a modern concept, as binomial nomenclature hadn't been invented. If I'm not mistaken, corvus is a raven and cornīx is a crow. The same distinction persists in modern French: corbeau versus corneille.
 
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