bearskin
UK[ˈbeəskɪn]US[ˈberskɪn]
n
the skin of a bear, especially when used as a rug or garment.
n
a tall, black fur hat worn by some ceremonial military regiments.
Morpheme Breakdown
bear
skin
bear
animal
skin
hide
Etymology
the word 'bearskin' is a transparent compound formed from two ancient germanic roots. the first element, 'bear', descends from the old english 'bera', a term common to germanic languages for the large mammal, likely derived from a proto-indo-european root meaning 'the brown one'. the second element, 'skin', entered english from old norse 'skinn', which referred specifically to an animal's pelt or hide. the compound literally means 'the skin or hide of a bear'. over time, this literal meaning extended metonymically to denote the iconic ceremonial military headgear made from such a pelt, illustrating a straightforward semantic shift from the material itself to a specific object crafted from it.
Analysis
Structure: bear (animal) + skin (hide)
- bear: from old english 'bera', of germanic origin; the animal.
- skin: from old norse 'skinn', meaning animal hide or pelt.
Examples
a bearskin rug lay in front of the stone fireplace.
the guardsman stood motionless, his bearskin adding to his imposing stature.
in the 18th century, frontiersmen often wore bearskin coats for warmth.